Chapter 25 - Irreversible (4)

"Ah, fucking hell."

Just as I was feeling proud, thinking, *'I totally tore that up just now,'* DeB suddenly spat out a curse. I was willing to let it slide since he said he'd lend us horses, but I had no idea why he was suddenly picking a fight.

"... Listen here, Sir. We hate the Temple's snobs."

I already knew that. Though I only just realized he hated them enough to badmouth them to me, someone he wasn't even close to, and right in front of the very Temple snob who was listening.

"But... we hate demons even more. We also really hate humans who are no different from demons."

Are the affection meters for the story NPCs all broken? Otherwise, there's no way I'd be hearing this when it's only been a few hours since we met.

I made that deduction as I listened to the rest of his words.

"So, take this."

Something flew at me, and I caught it reflexively the very next moment.

"... Any city that's even slightly developed will have at least one tavern bearing that crest."

Just as I was about to check what he had given me, DeB spoke amiably. I had no idea what he handed me that made him bring up taverns.

"Go and present it. You'll be able to buy any information you want."

I glanced down at what I was holding.

A wooden token depicting an engraved rat overlapping an embossed snake caught my eye. To anyone who had experienced 'Legend of Heroes', it was a faction's crest as familiar as that of the Adventurer's Guild.

"You have the right to do so."

Crazy. This is an information guild access token. A place similar to the Adventurer's Guild, but with a slightly different role.

The back of my head tingled for a moment. I thought DeB was going to join the party through this incident, but I now realized this whole setup was just to deliver this token.

I absolutely welcome this kind of twist. Even though it seems like I'll be logging out before I can even use it.

"... Your reason for giving me this."

"I told you. We hate the Temple, but we hate demons and humans who act like demons even more. And won't you put it to much better use than us, Sir Knight, who just hoard information?"

He's right about that. When an NPC provides information, the player follows the quest to dig into and solve the related problems.

Not that he gave it to me knowing that.

"What do you want."

I asked as I placed the token into my inventory. At that, the corners of DeB's lips curled up.

"It's fine. I've already received it."

... I'll have to check if anything is missing from my inventory later. What did he receive when I never even gave him anything?

"And as for the horses... I'll try to get them ready as quickly as possible. Please rest wherever you like in the meantime. I'll come find you myself."

His service really is top-notch, though.

What is this? What exactly did I do for him to treat me like this? The story wouldn't just hand things to me for free. Or did handing over that one Demon Contractor earlier snowball into all this? I get the horses, but isn't this token too much?

"Wait."

While I was guessing DeB's psychology, the Inquisitor spoke up this time. As her sunken eyes caught the moonlight, they seemed to shine white.

"I will accompany you as well."

It wasn't something I particularly wished for, nor was it an unexpected line. There was no way a story-companion NPC wouldn't follow me. Not that I'd care if she didn't.

"As for the Archmage..."

"... How could I be left out."

Although the Archmage's expression looked a bit like he was dying, he too eventually agreed. His thick hands pressed against his own eyes.

"But, will you be alright?"

"I didn't expect such hardship to begin so soon... but it is something I prepared myself for the moment I decided to join you, Inquisitor, so there is no need to worry."

Alright, so does this mean our departure is set? But what about horses for those two?

"... You guys can figure it out yourselves."

"Hmm. I will pay the price. Is it still a no?"

"Well, if you're paying."

DeB shrugged and made a hand gesture. A Thief who had still been lingering nearby—the one who had handed over the corpse sack—instantly vanished into the alley.

"I'll be charging you guys full price, so be prepared."

DeB also slowly backed away toward where the Thief had disappeared, then completely turned his body and ran off. His ability to conceal himself in an instant was truly fitting for a representative Thief character.

"... Then, all that remains is to wait."

"Ah, let us go to the lodgings. There will be no problem using them."

Temple lodgings, huh... Wouldn't it fit my temperament better not to go?

"Demon Knight, you should join us. Wouldn't it be better to get some proper rest, even if just for a moment?"

*Tsk. * But if he puts it like that, following along wouldn't be out of character either.

I just have to go and not lie on the bed. Fatigue drops by the same amount whether you sleep standing up, sitting down, or lying down anyway.

"It is this way."

I quietly watched the Inquisitor lead the way before being the last to take a step.

"Are you waiting for your own ruin?"

But in the end, I didn't answer the Sage, who had asked quietly so the Inquisitor wouldn't hear.

Because that question perfectly pierced the exact image I was aiming for. Wahaha.

* * *

DeB returned right before dawn.

It took longer than expected, but I let it slide with just a single, "You're late." To be acting like a jerk, the horses DeB brought were far too magnificent.

Actually, thanks to him coming late, I managed to reduce my fatigue quite a bit too.

"Why are there five horses?"

"Because no matter how good the horse is, it'll tire out quickly if it carries a rider in full plate armor like you. Why?"

That essentially meant to distribute the load. Though that still left one extra horse.

"... It's because these are precious horses. They said someone has to come along to bring them back."

DeB, who had been speaking bluntly to the Inquisitor, immediately confessed at my glance.

They were weird guys. I was the one acting like a jerk, so why were they both acting friendly only toward me while baring their fangs at each other?

"Is that you?"

"Y-Yes..."

「You will now be accompanied by ??? (DeathBringer).」

I see. I briefly checked the pop-up window before swiping it aside.

"Do you perhaps have a complaint? Because if you do, I'll take the horses back."

A voice chimed in from the side.

I never explicitly said I had a complaint... More importantly, it was a voice I was hearing for the first time. I glanced over in that direction.

"...! Sister!"

The gasps of the Priests who had come out to see us off drifted into my ears. If the Priests recognized her, she seemed to be quite a famous person in this city.

"Do you know her?"

"U-Um, she is a great patron of our Temple. She also does a lot of charity work in the slums."

"... She wouldn't happen to have a criminal record, would she."

"Of course not!"

Meanwhile, I also gained some information thanks to the Inquisitor. Right, so that's how it is.

"I can tell just by looking. You're the Demon Knight our kid fell head over heels for, right?"

"I never fell for anyone, alright?"

"If you come running to me in the dead of night begging me to lend you horses, then you fell for him."

"Argh."

Furthermore, listening to her chatter with DeB, I figured she must be the owner of the horses.

Suppressing my unresolved fatigue, I turned my body away from the horses. Then, I could see the other party clearly.

She was of the 'Slender' race, with pointy ears and a thin physique. The faint scent of herbal medicine was rather pleasant.

"Well, taking them back was a joke. I just came by because I was curious who was borrowing the horses, so don't worry."

"Who are you."

"I'm someone running a little apothecary over there. Call me Skylar."

It was a bit strange for an apothecary owner to have no less than five such excellent horses, but I decided to let that slide. At best, she was probably a collaborator of the information guild or a member of the information guild herself.

Of course, it could just be that she was personally close with DeB... but I wasn't really curious enough to care. If she was an important NPC, I'd probably see her again later.

"Are you the owner of the horses?"

In the meantime, the Inquisitor, who had successfully taken off her armor with the help of the Priests, stepped forward.

She only took off the plate armor, though; she was still wearing chainmail underneath, so she remained quite intimidating.

"First, allow me to express my gratitude. And as for the price of borrowing the horses..."

"Oh, it's fine. How could I accept payment when someone belonging to the Temple is borrowing them? We have to help each other out in times like these."

"Even so..."

"You'll use them for a good cause, right?"

Skylar smiled warmly as she said that.

"They're children I raised with a lot of affection, so please just make sure they don't get hurt."

However, the person she looked at when she said that wasn't the Inquisitor, but me. For the record, her hand firmly pressed down on the head of DeB, who was standing next to her.

"Ah, what now!"

"Because if they get hurt... I think I'd be quite angry."

So, she meant the horses, sure, but she also wanted me to protect DeB. The NPCs here are really good at talking in circles.

"That will absolutely never happen."

Of course, the expression of the Inquisitor, who likely hadn't understood the hidden meaning, became somewhat resolute.

Seeing her impeccably polite attitude, unlike when she dealt with DeB, it seemed that even knowing a criminal was okay as long as there was no actual criminal record.

"That's a relief, then."

"Um, by the way... about the person coming along to bring the horses back."

"Ah, it is exactly as it sounds. They are such precious children, you see, so I didn't want to leave them somewhere unfamiliar for long."

"... The Temple is more than capable—"

"Of course, I know that if I ask the Temple, you would return them safely. Still, the human heart is a fickle thing. I think I'll feel more relieved if I attach someone I know to them."

"T-Then..."

"I just so happen to have known the kid here for quite a long time, so I entrusted them to him, thinking he'd be fine. Oh, is that a problem by any chance?"

"That is..."

"He acts a bit like a delinquent, but he often helps out with my charity work and things like that. He's also quick on the uptake, so he won't be a nuisance to you, Heresy Inquisitor."

All the while, the Inquisitor seemed to want to leave DeB behind or at least swap him out for someone else...

Even if I didn't know why she was insisting on DeB—it was probably just the story—it seemed we'd be going as is. As for me, I couldn't care less who tagged along.

"Are you going to keep dragging your feet?"

Anyway, I finally got the horses, so I couldn't just waste time standing around chatting.

I mounted my horse. Just then, the Archmage also trudged over and arrived.

"I am the last to arrive, it seems."

He didn't ask why there were five horses or who the newly added person was. Then again, even with normal hearing, he would have been able to catch about half of the conversation between the Inquisitor and Skylar, which was enough to grasp the situation without issue.

"Oh my, it seems I've taken up too much of your time. Please, hurry on your way."

"Y-Yes. Thank you... for your consideration."

Defeated in the verbal spar, the Inquisitor also eventually mounted her horse with a sullen face. Since DeB was already mounted on his, we only had to set off now.

"Ah, wait. Give me your ear a sec, kid."

"Ah, what is it now."

... I just had to wait for the horse owner to finish speaking to her proxy before departing.

"Then, I wish you good luck."

"May God be with you."

The whispering didn't last very long.

Figuring there was no need for me to listen to words of blessing, I promptly spurred my horse forward.

"Hyah!"

NEIGH!

The heavily built horse snorted once before immediately moving its legs. Its acceleration was quite impressive.

"W-Wait."

"Ho."

Of course, it seemed the Priests behind me were clutching the backs of their necks in exasperation, but my character didn't care about things like other people's affection meters. Wahaha.

"...! This is a truly excellent horse!"

"... She pampered them to death, so it makes sense."

In the meantime, the sound of the Inquisitor marveling and DeB muttering briefly grazed my ears. It seemed this was DeB's first time riding one too.

"At this rate, we might even make it in under three days."

"Is it that fast?"

"Yes."

Around the time even the Archmage began marveling at the horses, one of the horses drew close to me.

"... Um, Sir. Please forget what you heard earlier."

It was the DeathBringer.

"She's someone I met while wandering the back alleys, and she's a bit of a busybody, so..."

"Not interested."

I was actually going to remember it very well and keep it in mind, but that was what I said. As per my concept, it wasn't something I should be interested in, right?

"Is that so."

Whether he took those words positively or negatively, DeB, who had been riding alongside me, spat out a word after a long while.

"... Sir, have you never felt regret, Sir?"

It was a question that felt a bit out of nowhere to pop up in this situation. On top of that, shouldn't such a sensitive question usually be asked only after getting to know each other a bit, or in other words, after some affection has been built up?

Did you also secretly build up internal intimacy with me like the Inquisitor?

"..."

Should I ignore it, or not. If I don't ignore it, what answer would be right.

I quickly analyzed my character. An answer soon presented itself.

"A meaningless question."

Lacking the ability, he couldn't stop his family from dying; lacking the ability, he was the only one who survived; and lacking the ability, the most he can do is hunt petty demons.

In such a position, there was no way he could feel things like regret.

Regret is only possible when acknowledging a mistake or realizing there was a better choice, but the Demon Knight belongs to neither of those.

In other words, he wasn't even given the chance to regret.

Because all of his despair occurred due to an unstoppable disaster.

Therefore.

"... It's about time the nutrient IV ran out, so why can't I log out yet."

When two days had passed since we headed for Tatara. When so much time had passed that it could no longer be covered up by saying sleeping hours were skipped, yet I still couldn't log out.

Even when the game still didn't close by the time we arrived at Tatara.

"Why...?"

I *could* feel regret.

Because logging into the game, immersing myself in my concept roleplay, and putting aside my worries while assuming I'd be logged out when the time came were all things I had done!

Goddamn it!