My hunt in the labyrinth concluded, and I made my way back home.
The amount of Experience Points gained today was unprecedented, and I had met the conditions for a Level Up. I thought about having Rustiara handle it, but unfortunately, she didn’t seem to be home. She was away visiting a neighboring country, so I figured she wouldn’t be back anytime soon. With that in mind, I looked for Maria next. However, Maria wasn’t home either. I wondered if she was struggling to learn a new spell.
No one was home.
I felt a little lonely. I realized I was becoming weak to solitude without even noticing.
Thinking I had returned too early, I looked out the window. The sun was beginning to set, casting a beautiful sunset glow into the house.
Overwhelmed by a strange melancholy, I left the house.
Since I had accumulated enough Experience Points, I decided to use my free time to go to the church for a Level Up. While it would save time to have Rustiara do it, it was probably better to Level Up as soon as possible.
I also had a good amount of Magic Stones saved up, so I needed to exchange them for money. However, exchanging a large amount of Magic Stones at once would be conspicuous, so I decided to only exchange the bare minimum. After that, I would do some shopping to lift my spirits and then pay Diia a visit.
Solidifying my plans for the future, I descended the hill and entered Valt.
I walked along the streets of Valt, illuminated by the all-encompassing sunset. The edges of the street, adorned with jeweled decorations, shone a faint red.
Enjoying the extravagance of the roads in this world with my eyes, I finally arrived at the church.
As I entered the church, I found a priest chanting and citizens offering their prayers. I wasn’t sure if it was alright to join mid-prayer, but I sat down at the end of a bench in the back and offered my own prayers, mimicking those around me.
It was a quiet time.
Occasionally, I would open my Status screen, wondering if I had Leveled Up yet. After confirming I hadn’t, I would resume my prayers.
The Level Up process at the church was significantly longer compared to having Rustiara do it. I passed the time by checking my Status and gazing at the church’s stained glass windows. The stained glass was so dazzling that when I focused on it, I was surprised to discover it was made of jewels.
As I observed various things within the church, the priest finished his chanting and bowed. Those around me also bowed and began to leave, standing up sparsely.
I remained seated and checked my Status.
【Status】
Name: Aikawa Uzunami HP 345/372 MP 221/653-200 Class:
Level 13
Strength 7.82 Stamina 8.02 Dexterity 9.35 Speed 12.01 Intelligence 11.73 Magic 29.78 Aptitude 7.00
Condition: Confusion 7.79
Experience Points: 20235/35000
Equipment: Aris Family’s Treasure Sword
Otherworldly Clothes
Sturdy Coat
Otherworldly Shoes
Having confirmed I had Leveled Up, I pondered how to use the bonus points. Up until now, I had allocated points to HP and MP out of necessity, but perhaps it was time to consider a different distribution. After durability and sustained combat ability, the next most important thing, I believe, is the firepower needed to defeat monsters. Simply put, Strength or Magic would likely translate to increased firepower. After a moment of thought, I decided to put the points into Magic.
【Status】
Name: Aikawa Uzunami HP 345/372 MP 221/657-200 Class:
Level 13
Strength 7.82 Stamina 8.02 Dexterity 9.35 Speed 12.01 Intelligence 11.73 Magic 30.08 Aptitude 7.00
Condition: Confusion 7.79
Experience Points: 20235/35000
Equipment: Aris Family’s Treasure Sword
Otherworldly Clothes
Sturdy Coat
Otherworldly Shoes
My Magic increased by 0.30, and my MP also rose slightly. I had expected my Magic to increase by 1.00, but it didn’t seem to rise that quickly. I wasn’t sure if the increase in other stats would also be 0.30 until I tested it with the next bonus points. I thought about investing in Strength next to try and find a pattern.
Next, I considered the reason for the slight increase in MP. It was probably a synergistic effect, common in games. Perhaps a fraction of my Magic was added to MP, or there was a bonus adjustment to MP based on my Magic. Although the increase was small, it was significant.
Joyfully acknowledging my increased strength from leveling up, I stood up from my seat.
As I was about to leave the church, I stopped.
A Knight I recognized was outside the church. I had detected him using the Magic “Dimension.” It was fortunate that I had heightened my senses and strengthened my “Dimension” magic due to Hein’s attack this morning. Thanks to that, I noticed him before stepping outside.
I enhanced my magic and acquired the Knight’s information.
【Status】
Name: Palinkron Legacy HP 311/312 MP 42/62 Class: Knight
Level 22
Strength 7.90 Stamina 9.87 Dexterity 11.89 Speed 5.67 Intelligence 7.34 Magic 4.78 Aptitude 1.80
Innate Skill: Observational Eye 1.45
Acquired Skills: Swordsmanship 1.89 Divine Magic 1.23
Martial Arts 1.87 Curse Technique 0.54
The Knight’s name was Palinkron. He was the same Knight I had encountered at the slave market a few days ago. I dredged up memories and recalled Palinkron as a person. He was the kind of person I found difficult to deal with, someone who was nonchalant and manipulative.
I stopped trying to leave the church entrance and attempted to search for a different exit using the magic 《Dimension》.
Then, Palinkron, who had been waiting outside, suddenly moved and entered the church.
The church door opened, and a tall man appeared. He still didn’t look like a knight, wearing loose, cumbersome clothes like a merchant. The only thing that could possibly identify Palinkron as a knight was the sword he wore at his waist.
Palinkron approached me, his murky brown hair swaying.
“Yo, what a coincidence. Christ, Older Brother.”
He greeted me, pretending it was a chance encounter. However, it was certain that it wasn’t. He had indeed been waiting for me outside the church. And he only entered the church because I had cast 《Dimension》 over a wide area to search for a different exit.
“Ah, a coincidence indeed. Stalking again? The profession of Knight must be a very idle one.”
I responded to Palinkron in a harsh tone. I had always treated knights politely, but for some reason, I didn’t feel like doing so with Palinkron. The place where we first met was also not good.
“Oh, were you found out stalking… Older Brother, you have quite good perception abilities too. Your magic suddenly flared up, so I was surprised and came in.”
Palinkron said he did too. It was highly likely that he possessed a magic similar to 《Dimension》. This ambush, and the previous tailing, were probably done using that magic.
It seemed to be related to Palinkron’s skill called 『Curse Technique』. We had never heard of it during any of our past information gathering. It was an unknown magic genre.
“So, what do you want? Do you want to duel?”
“Whoa there, that’s rather violent. I just came to talk. Older Brother, you repelled Sera, Ragune-chan, and Hein, right? If that’s the case, I wouldn’t be a match for you. I’m just fighting for last place with Hope’s old man.”
Palinkron shrugged with a playful demeanor. However, I did not let my guard down. I maintained a certain distance and ‘gazed’ intently at his every move.
【Iron Sword】
Attack Power: 2
An unremarkable iron sword.
Other than this Iron Sword, there was no other equipment that I might use in combat.
Palinkron noticed that I was becoming more vigilant and focusing on my equipment, and he tried to lighten the mood in a casual tone.
“No, really. I just came to talk for a bit. This sword is also a shoddy thing I pilfered from some knight’s barracks.”
“Just now, I was ambushed in a friendly atmosphere like this…”
“Haha, I know, I know. It was Hein, wasn’t it? I know, so I came to see what was going on.”
Palinkron said with a laugh and sat down on the opposite end of the bench where I had been sitting. The crowd around us had thinned out. The priest had also finished his duties and retreated to the back.
Unnaturally, it was just me and Palinkron inside the church.
“If you know, then please understand. My trust in knights has plummeted. I don’t want you to come within sword’s reach.”
“Understood, I won’t get close. I promise. …So, shall we talk?”
With that, Palinkron placed the sword from his waist on the floor, showing he had no intention of fighting. I felt Palinkron’s straightforward response was, conversely, suspicious. There was no doubt that he had other means to fight even without a sword.
However, after he had gone this far, refusing to talk would be impolite as a person. Moreover, there were things I wanted to ask the people of Fuziaze, including about Mr. Hein. I sat back down on the bench. Of course, I kept my distance.
“Alright. I don’t mind talking.”
“Thank you. I would have been in trouble if we couldn’t even talk here.”
Palinkron said, “That’s good, that’s good,” and continued speaking.
“How is it? Have you defeated all of the 『Seven Knights of Heaven』 yet?”
Then, a question I didn’t quite expect came flying. Believing there was no point in lying, I answered honestly. If he wanted to know, he could find out the information.
“No, I haven’t fought them all. I fought… Radiant, Hope, Ragune-chan, and Hein. Four people.”
“Mmm-hmm. I see.”
Palinkron listened to the report of his companions’ defeat with apparent pleasure.
“Now it’s my turn to ask a question. Do you know why Hein did what he did?”
“Ah, I do.”
Without missing a beat, Palinkron answered. I was a little surprised because I hadn’t expected him to answer honestly.
Seeing my surprise, Palinkron laughed.
“Heh, don’t be surprised. You answered honestly too, Older Brother. So I’ll answer honestly as well.”
“Please tell me.”
“Sure. I’ll give you a concise answer. It was — because I provoked her. For the past few days, I’ve been subtly saying things like, ‘Ah, the Master who is with Christ-kun seems happy. She laughs just like a normal girl,’ or ‘To be deceived her whole life and disappear without grasping even a little happiness… it’s truly painful, even if it’s for the country.’ I continued to torment her like that, and she ended up going into a half-mad frenzy. And then, she went to help her Master. Haha, I did it.”
Palinkron answered with a laugh. It was like the innocent laughter of a small child who had succeeded in a prank. I was dumbfounded by the contrast between his laughter and the content of his words.
“Ah, I provoked you…?”
“I’m known for provoking people. The magic I’ve learned is mostly of that spiritual type.”
“…Wh-why would you do such a thing?”
“Because it seemed interesting. And also because I wish ill upon the country of Fuziaze. Though, most of it is just a hobby.”
Palinkron laughed, and I was left speechless.
This was my first time meeting someone who so proudly and openly spoke of their wicked deeds – that was the reason.
Their purity of malice was so absolute, I didn’t know how to respond. The fact that a human could so casually drive others to madness filled me with dread.
As I stood there dumbfounded, Palinkron continued speaking.
“Now it’s my turn to ask a question. Older Brother, do you intend to help our Master—Rustiara?”
Help, Rustiara……?
Does that mean Rustiara is in a situation where she *needs* to be helped?
Palinkron’s words were like a drug, a kind of poison.
Based on what he said, I was wary of Palinkron’s mental magic and checked my status. However, there were no anomalies. This was purely Palinkron’s rhetoric.
Just talking to him was giving me such a headache…
“What do you mean by ‘help’?”
“What, you haven’t heard from Hein? Ah, if you haven’t, then it can’t be helped. I’ll explain it to you. This is a courtesy. I will explain to you the secrets of Fuziaze, the Master’s secrets. Ah, it can’t be helped, truly.”
Palinkron spoke with feigned reluctance, as if it were a bother.
“Shall I explain it concisely? Rustiara Fuziaze is a sacrifice for the Christmas festival. She is a vessel to descend Saint Tiara, created for that sole purpose. Well, if such a thing were to descend, Rustiara’s self would naturally vanish. In other words, she dies the day after tomorrow.”
And then he said Rustiara would die.
Palinkron was saying that, if things continued as they were, that girl would die.
My heart began to beat uncomfortably fast.
It was similar to a situation from the past.
Just like at the slave market, I was being manipulated in the same way. I was being provoked in the same way.
Palinkron pointed at the girl succumbing to misfortune, a faint smile on his face, and taunted me.
*Is this alright?*
*Will you overlook it?*
*Will you let the unfortunate girl die?* and so on…
“Is… is that really true…?”
“I don’t lie. Well, the decision is yours to make, Older Brother.”
There was no reason to believe him.
A liar never calls himself a liar.
However, when combined with what Rustiara and Mr. Hein had told me, it lined up.
“Tell me more.”
I wanted to believe it was a lie.
I listened to his detailed explanation, hoping to find a contradiction and prove him wrong.
“Gladly. I’ll tell you anything. You have the right to know.”
Palinkron twisted the corner of his mouth and leaned in slightly towards me.
His smile was like that of a spider that had caught its prey. It wasn’t the warm smile of a mammal or reptile, but the dry, cruel smile peculiar to insects.
“First, as a premise, Rustiara is not human. She was not born from a human womb, nor is she a proper living creature. She’s like a ‘Magic Stone Human’ created by kneading human flesh and jewels. We call them ‘Magic Stone Humans.’ Do you know? For her size, she’s a three-year-old child.”
First, he casually revealed that Rustiara was not human.
However, I already knew this. She had told me herself.
While the age of three was surprising, I had vaguely suspected it. The imbalance between her mind and body was Rustiara’s hallmark. It explained the immaturity of her spirit.
But, I decided to confirm it.
“Rustiara herself said she was sixteen.”
“Ah, her physical age is set to sixteen. She probably chose her physical age over causing confusion by honestly saying she was three.”
During the festival, Rustiara had added an “as it were” when she said she was sixteen.
Perhaps, in her heart, it was as Palinkron said.
This wasn’t a major contradiction yet.
“Continue.”
“The reason why Fuziaze created such a ‘Magic Stone Human’ as a ‘vessel’ is to bring back past great individuals.”
Palinkron spread his hands and continued to speak with delight.
Every word he spoke chipped away at my heart.
“The blood of past saints is preserved whole in the Cathedral. Saint Tiara, the progenitor of magic, apparently tried various experiments to return to this world. She focus on the properties of a magician’s blood. Blood can leave behind many magical formulas. So, she thought, could Saint Tiara’s personality be left behind in that blood as a formula? …No, what dedication. This person.”
I sensed no respect for the saint from Palinkron. Of course, I had none either.
From the flow of this conversation, it meant that blood—
“In other words, Rustiara the ‘Magic Stone Human’s’ mission is to drink that blood of Saint Tiara and hand over her body. Her body’s blood is packed with formulas for the transfer. She was born as a receptacle for rebirth.”
—blood that would kill Rustiara.
The existence of Saint Tiara was now being recognized as my enemy.
“The rebirth of Saint Tiara is also prophesied in the scripture of Revannism, and it is this year. Fuziaze is acting in accordance with that. And the citizens of Fuziaze are also anticipating the prophecy. They believe this year’s Christmas festival will be different. And the Christmas festival is just two days away, and the Master’s life is in grave danger! So, what will you do, Christ’s Older Brother?”
Palinkron finished his clinging explanation and turned his clinging eyes towards me, awaiting my reply.
I squeezed out the questions I had to ask.
“…Does Rustiara know about all of this?”
“She must have been told something about becoming one with Saint Tiara. They’ve sugarcoated it, but she probably senses her own imminent demise. I don’t know the details because Hein was her tutor—but it was definitely easy to brainwash a pure, newborn master.”
Palinkron suggested the possibility of brainwashing while suppressing a laugh.
Rustiara must accept becoming Saint Tiara at the Christmas festival as a matter of course. If she didn’t, she wouldn’t be calmly exploring dungeons. Any person with normal sensibilities would have already fled, far away from here, just as Mr. Hein said.
“So, Rustiara has no doubts about accepting the ceremony?”
“To be precise, she’s been adjusted so she *can’t* have doubts, perhaps? Rustiara’s life has already been predetermined by a plan, and it’s her fate to be continuously adjusted.”
“Continuously adjusted… Fate…”
Something about those words gnawed at me.
It was the same for me—
“It’s all for Fuziaze’s plan.”
Ignoring my shifting expression, Palinkron continued his story.
I shook off the nagging feeling and focused on his words.
“A plan? What kind of plan?”
“Ah, I’m glad you asked. It’s a fun, fun plan, so I can’t wait to tell you about it. The plan is this: ‘Rustiara will gladly accept the ceremony and become Saint Tiara. Then, she will be presented at the Christmas festival to the cheers of the citizens. After that, it’s truly a hero’s tale. With that miraculous power, she will pioneer uncharted labyrinths, extend the ‘Seidō,’ and inherit the title of strongest from Glen. —Incidentally, Glen himself is a collaborator. Then, she wins the Dance Battle Tournament held later. Her name will echo throughout the continent, and wielding her miraculous power everywhere, she will make a triumphant return to the Fuziaze homeland. With full preparations, she will participate in the war in the northern part of the continent, and the living legend, Saint, will descend as the supreme commander on the front lines. With her prestige and power, the war will be a great victory for Fuziaze! Amazing, just like a hero!’ —Heh heh, won’t it be a wonderful story? This is already decided.”
Palinkron recounted Rustiara’s future as if he were narrating the life of a certain hero. The plan was the very hero’s tale Rustiara preferred. I thought that perhaps she might be happy about it, then realized it was a convenient coincidence.
It made me doubt whether Rustiara’s preferences were artificial.
Perhaps Rustiara didn’t admire hero’s tales and want to become a hero; perhaps she was educated to admire hero’s tales *because* she was going to become a hero.
If that were the case… it was deeply unpleasant.
“A life planned like that is absurd… Something’s wrong…”
Feeling disgusted, I muttered the words naturally.
“Right!?”
At that, Palinkron agreed with me in a particularly loud voice.
Then, with that momentum, he invited me.
“So, Christ’s older brother. Let’s save Rustiara!”
Palinkron, with a beaming smile, made a proposal that seemed filled with goodwill.
I found it utterly terrifying.
I was scared that it was the malicious Palinkron himself making this proposal that sounded so full of goodwill.
To shake off my fear, I retorted roughly.
“Are you just trying to provoke me like this…! What do you want to do…!”
“What do I want to do? Of course, I want to help someone. I want to give my master a real human life! I want to save her from the obsession and sacrifice that is Saint Tiara!”
Palinkron answered with sparkling eyes.
I understood. This person genuinely thought Rustiara’s fate was boring. He thought it was dull for things to proceed according to a fixed plan.
Helping Rustiara would be interesting.
That’s all. That’s it.
What a clearly expressed desire for chaos.
“I want Christ’s older brother to prevent theRevival of Saint Tiara. Specifically, I want you to ruin Fuziaze’s biggest festival tomorrow, the ‘Christmas festival of Saint Tiara.'”
He invited me to destroy it.
However, this goes against my policy.
I felt anger upon learning about Rustiara’s situation.
That was for sure.
But there were limits to what I could do.
I didn’t have that kind of leeway… I didn’t.
“Doing something like that will just get me caught. Even if I do it with good intentions, I’ll just be a criminal.”
“You won’t get caught. You have enough skill to escape. You’ve repeatedly driven off the ‘Seven Knights of Heaven,’ who likely represent this country’s highest combat power, without a scratch.”
“Even so, the country will take notice, and it will become difficult for me to operate as a criminal. It will greatly affect my life.”
“If that happens, then just flee abroad. You’ll be safe in an enemy country where Fuziaze’s influence doesn’t reach.”
“I’m an explorer with no family. I don’t want to leave this place, and I have nowhere to run.”
“If it’s the southern two countries, I think it will be fine. Even this Valt isn’t on good terms with Fuziaze. Someone as capable as Older Brother would surely be able to find places to hide.”
“The idea of being hidden or running away is already strange. Something like that—”
“Ah, so you’re saying you *could* help, but you won’t because you care too much about your own skin?”
Palinkron laughed sickeningly.
He poked at the spot I didn’t want to be touched, with a smile.
I distorted my face at his accurate accusation.
I had no choice but to admit my own pettiness.
“Ah, yes… That’s right…”
I had no grounds to argue.
That’s right. Everyone cherishes their own life.
Then, Palinkron looked at me with an expression of disappointment.
“…You aren’t taking the bait this time. It was easy when you were a slave, but do you not like my Master? Or rather, was there something special about that slave?”
“…!”
And this time, he accurately speared into the depths of my heart, in a way no one else would have noticed.
I answered, trying not to show my agitation.
“…That’s right. Back then, it was easily settled with Money, but this time is different. As you said, I don’t like Rustiara that much.”
Hearing my answer, Palinkron observed me with a smarmy gaze.
With his penetrating stare, he tried to see through my lie.
After staring at me for a while, Palinkron replied with a smile.
“Haha. Well, it’s an unreasonable demand to suddenly ask you to prepare to make enemies of entire countries. I won’t force you. For me, just having driven Hein mad is a complete success this time. I won’t get greedy here. However—”
On the surface, his words sounded like he was giving up.
“—Older Brother seems like he’d do it.”
Still, Palinkron continued to look at me as if I were a fish caught in his net.
With that last remark, Palinkron stood up.
“Well then, I should disappear soon. My creed is to operate from the shadows.”
With that, Palinkron waved goodbye to me and started to leave the Church.
The abrupt ending was unexpected.
I thought he would be more persistent in his persuasion. Or perhaps Palinkron thought that if we talked this much, I would act on my own.
Palinkron was already showing me his back.
I couldn’t discern his expression, and I couldn’t fathom his true intentions.
I simply watched Palinkron leave without saying anything. I had obtained the minimum necessary information. I didn’t intend to keep him here to glean further details. He was that unfathomable.
Thus, in the now quiet Church, I exhaled deeply.
After taking a deep breath, I dragged my lead-like body and headed home.
My body was simply heavy.
My spirits were equally heavy.
Unable to bear the oppressive feeling, I couldn’t even go shopping or visit.
I went straight home and looked for Rustiara.
However, Rustiara wasn’t there.
No matter how much I searched, she was nowhere to be found…
Only Maria was there.
Maria approached me with a worried expression, seeing my appearance.
It was a devoted gesture. However, knowing that such devotion might stem from romantic feelings made it difficult for me to respond.
“Master, what’s wrong…?”
I hesitated about talking to Maria about Rustiara.
From my perspective, the two of them seemed to be on good terms. Although Maria often rebuffed Rustiara with cold words, I saw it as a form of communication between friends.
Did Maria know anything about Rustiara? Perhaps they talked when they were alone.
“No… Rustiara, the day after tomorrow…”
“The day after tomorrow? Is something happening with Rustiara-san?”
“On the Christmas festival day…”
“Yes.”
Maria just waited for my words.
She didn’t sense anything special about “the day after tomorrow” or “the Christmas festival.”
It seemed she knew nothing, just like me.
I debated whether I should tell Maria the details.
Maria and Rustiara are friends. If they are friends, wouldn’t it be more natural for Rustiara to tell her mouth?
Besides, the information I have isn’t directly from Rustiara herself. It’s hearsay from Mr. Hein and Palinkron.
…
No, that’s just an excuse.
I’m just feeling down.
It’s tiring to explain.
It’s just painful, like when I met Maria at the slave market.
I swallowed the words I was about to utter.
Then, I pulled out some innocuous words.
“She said let’s play again on the Christmas festival day.”
“…Yes. I’d like that.”
Hearing my evasion, Maria simply nodded obediently.
Maria’s eyes continued to stare straight at me.
It’s likely that Maria is just pretending to be fooled. She understood my intention and didn’t press further.
Maria often took a step back out of consideration for me. The thought that this too might be due to her romantic feelings made me feel uneasy.
Dragging my even heavier body, I made my way to the bedroom.
Various pieces of information swirled in my head, making me feel sick.
To shake them off, I wrapped myself in a blanket.
That day, even when dinner arrived and the night passed, Rustiara did not return.
“Day 13 End”
