Chapter 90

A Continent Astir (1)

In the trading city of Caravana, one could hear about incidents from all over the continent. And there was no shortage of bizarre ones.

Sirens, for example, were mermaid monsters with the appearance of beautiful women and the lower bodies of fish. They abducted human men to reproduce, and one man had deliberately let himself be enchanted and captured by a siren.

But as it turned out, fish practiced “external fertilization.” In the end, the man never got what he wanted and died after being repeatedly milked dry. Or so one story went.

All manner of bizarre, absurd incidents poured in from across the continent, stories that would have been ridiculous even in a novel. With an endless supply of such tales, the people of Caravana barely batted an eye at anything ordinary.

As a result, only one rumor had recently set Caravana abuzz: monster meat. Shipped in from the commercial city of Frecce, its heavenly flavor had kept the entire city not merely talking, but positively excited.

Caravana was a free city that had developed specifically around trade. It had established itself as a hub of foreign exchange, goods transport, and trade networks. Rumors spread just as quickly, so anything that stirred Caravana was as good as stirring the entire continent.

And so, while rumors of monster meat were sweeping across the continent—

“What...? Violess is gone?”

Violess had vanished from the map. This was even more shocking than monster meat.

“What kind of bullshit is that?”

“At least make your lies believable if you expect anyone to fall for them.”

Perhaps that was why people refused to believe it at first. And understandably so. What sort of city was Violess? It was a breeding ground for criminals who ran rampant across the continent.

If the Langrid Mage Tower was the cradle of mages, Violess was the cradle of criminals. It was no exaggeration to say that every criminal on the continent was made there.

Indeed, crimes such as kidnappings and murders throughout the kingdoms were commissioned in Violess. Illegal weapons, drugs, and cursed objects also passed through the city before being distributed across the continent.

Violess was a serious problem for the whole continent. Yet it had been left alone. More precisely, there were reasons they had no choice but to leave it alone—

“It would take more than an ordinary army to bring Violess down, wouldn't it?”

First, it was a lawless city that even a kingdom's army could not subdue. As a free city, Violess had no absolute ruler such as a monarch or territorial lord. Its absolute authority was force. In other words, the Visters were formidable fighters.

Subjugating Violess inevitably required an enormous expenditure of military strength and resources—

“How many years ago was it? Didn't the Duchy of Illuer send in its army and get badly burned?”

The drain on resources was staggering, beyond what even a duchy's military could bear. Who would draw their sword first when there was no telling what losses they might suffer?

“There are even whispers that Violess has connections with noble officials in every kingdom.”

The city was untouchable, militarily and politically alike, and yet—

“Violess is truly gone?”

“It's been checked several times. Violess really doesn't exist anymore.”

“Good heavens...!”

That was precisely why all of Caravana was abuzz. Besides, military and political concerns were not the only reasons Violess had been left alone.

“Then what happens to the people who lived there?”

Violess might have been a lawless city, but that did not mean every resident was a criminal. Alongside exiles and fugitives from the kingdoms, there were the poor, driven there by the gulf between rich and poor; slaves who had been abducted and sold; and even people born in Violess. It, too, was a city where people lived.

Erasing Violess therefore meant taking responsibility for all the destitute people living there. What if they were abandoned? That would be no different from sending tens of thousands of people to their deaths.

“The cost of resettling the poor must be astronomical...”

This was the single greatest reason Violess had been left alone, an unavoidable practical obstacle. And yet—

“From what I hear, they're providing new homes for Violess's poor.”

“What? I-is that true?!”

“Yes. They're even sparing no expense to send back the slaves who have somewhere to return to.”

“My goodness...!”

In a way, it was only natural that all of Caravana was astounded. And when the trading city of Caravana was astounded—

“What's all this fuss about, gentlemen?”

“Let us in on it, too.”

Traders and adventurers visiting from every kingdom heard the story—

“W-what?!”

“That's actually true?!?!”

Which meant it would swiftly spread across the continent in turn—

“Wh-what in the world!!”

“Is that true?!!”

“Impossible!!”

It was as good as setting the entire continent astir. And so one question naturally arose—

“Wh-who was it?!”

“Who could have accomplished such a thing?!”

Just who was responsible for wiping Violess off the continent's map?

* * *

“Oh, and I have one final favor to ask.”

Adrian's voice suddenly broke in. Isolde snapped out of her brief moment of self-reflection.

“Could you announce that you and the Holy Kingdom resolved the situation in Violess, Lady Isolde?”

“... You're asking me to leave your name out of it?”

“That's right.”

“Why?”

This was one thing she could not understand. Could not accept would be more accurate.

Bringing down Violess was more than impressive. It was an extraordinary achievement. He had solved a problem no kingdom had been able to resolve. How could it be anything less?

This deed could rid Adrian of his reputation as a wastrel in one stroke. Beyond that, it was a tremendous honor that could make his name known throughout the continent.

Above all, he had practically accomplished it single-handedly. To put it bluntly, if anyone's name should be left out, it was Isolde's.

And he would throw away that opportunity and glory of his own accord? She could neither understand nor accept—

“Even a single gap can leave information badly distorted.”

“You mean you don't want your identity revealed.”

“That's right.”

“Why?”

She asked the same question again, and Adrian answered with an impassive expression.

“I carry out missions that go unrecorded.”

His manner suggested he was entirely accustomed to such treatment, that he considered it perfectly natural.

“As always, the glory isn't mine to claim.”

He was saying that the glory was hers to enjoy.

“I hide in the moonlight and do things I cannot be proud of, merely imagining the glory of walking beneath the stars.”

One who hid in the moonlight and walked beneath the stars. With those words, Adrian simply faded into the darkness of Violess.

Yet why was it that, even after his voice had faded, even after he had vanished from sight—

“...”

Adrian was leaving such a deep impression on Isolde's heart?

* * *

“They say the Holy Kingdom's Saintess stepped in and resolved it herself!”

Isolde Cordelia, the woman who had erased Violess. The miracle once deemed impossible was, quite literally, a miracle wrought by the Saintess.

“The Saintess herself...?”

“Good heavens...!”

Isolde's name rang out endlessly throughout Caravana. From there, it spread to every kingdom, sweeping across the continent—

“They say the Saintess personally neutralized Violess's Visters and gave the poor a new life?”

“I heard that rumor, too. I could hardly believe it at first...”

“Oh, didn't you say you've been to Violess before?”

“Don't get me started. That place is a hell where all the world's vices gather.”

People across the continent began singing endless praises of Isolde's achievement.

“To think the Saintess truly subdued that hell...”

“Doesn't that prove God's grace is real, and that the Saintess is truly God's representative?”

“They even say she had the Holy Kingdom provide relief supplies without sparing any expense!”

Now, scarcely anyone in the Holy Kingdom or the rest of the continent remained ignorant of Isolde's name. She had become more than the Saintess. Her name was a symbol of hope and salvation for the entire continent—

“Glory to the Saintess!!”

“The only light we can follow!!”

Word of Isolde spread like a legend, setting the entire continent astir.

* * *

Matters in Violess were gradually drawing to a close. Providing new homes and supplies for the city's poor had cost roughly thirty million gold, but that was fine.

Thirty million gold was an enormous sum even on the scale of a kingdom. It was more than I had looted from Avarus's secret vault. In other words, it was an expense even the Holy Kingdom would hesitate to take on.

Besides, Isolde had readily announced that she would provide land within the Holy Kingdom for the poor to settle. I couldn't saddle her with the financial burden as well, so I covered the entire cost.

Even then, plenty of the gold looted from the black market remained in my Inventory, more than enough to establish the allied army.

'I can always earn more.'

Money could always be made again.

With that in mind, I intended to keep the Predator Merchant Company operating. Of course, if Ian was drawing the Emperor's attention, it would be better not to keep it running.

But that might not be the case. Ian might not know I had returned to the past. Since I had to account for both possibilities, keeping the company was the better option.

Above all, the Predator Merchant Company wasn't merely a means of finding Ian. This very situation proved that. Its monster meat was the reason I had been able to meet Isolde in the first place.

“When will the people from the Holy Kingdom arrive?”

“I've received word that the Azure Silver Knights will arrive soon.”

At Isolde's answer, my head tilted of its own accord.

The Azure Silver Knights. The Holy Kingdom's most elite knightly order. They eliminated hostile forces and carried out special operations to prevent foreign invasions and internal rebellions.

As such, they did not mobilize lightly. As their duties suggested, they only moved in response to major matters such as foreign invasion or internal rebellion. Strictly speaking, the situation in Violess didn't warrant their deployment.

'Isolde must have ordered them here herself.'

... That more or less explained it.

'Then will Erdan be coming?'

Erdan Spellhart, commander of the Azure Silver Knights. Simply put, he was the holy-knight version of Kai.

Kai, the lunatic obsessed with Seraphia. Erdan, the madman obsessed with Isolde. If the imperial army had Kai, the allied army had Erdan.

There was a clear distinction between their loyalty and religious devotion, of course. But both were equally out of their minds—

'I'd better get going.'

There was no telling what headaches an encounter with him might cause. The madman would stop at nothing whenever Isolde was involved. Erdan had even picked a fight with Ian. Avoiding lunatics was the wisest course.

“Then I'll leave the rest to you, Lady Isolde.”

In any case, I had done all I could here. Now I had to take the Visters to the county, work them like dogs, reform them, and train them. If I was going to lay the foundations of the allied army in Ian's stead, I couldn't keep wasting time in Violess.

But as I prepared to say goodbye and leave—

“...”

Isolde said nothing. For some reason, she simply stared at me.

Even Find Weakness[U] couldn't read her emotions. Then or now, she was just as impossible to fathom.

Well, I hadn't intended to insist on a proper farewell anyway. Getting more deeply involved with Isolde here wouldn't do me any good.

By now, news of Violess would have spread across the continent. With the Holy Kingdom and Isolde in the spotlight, becoming closely associated with her would expose my existence. For now, I had to stay as hidden as possible while building my strength and forces.

Isolde was a crucial asset I needed to recruit into the allied army, but not yet. More importantly, parting here wouldn't end our connection. I turned to leave without hesitation—

“Wait.”

Only for Isolde to suddenly call me back?

* * *

Adrian stopped and slowly turned his head. Isolde spoke at once.

“I owe you my life.”

“I'll do anything within my power.”

“You've already helped me more than enough.”

But Adrian showed little reaction. He seemed to want nothing more from her. Isolde, however, did not want to let the matter end there.

Perhaps, she thought, she simply didn't want things with Adrian to end like this.

“It isn't enough to repay you for my life.”

She made her determination clear. Finally, Adrian let out a short sigh, as though conceding defeat.

“Will you truly do anything, as long as it's within your power?”

“Yes.”

“Can I take you at your word?”

“I swear to God.”

“In that case...”

Adrian strode up to her. Seen up close, his expression seemed heavy with meaning. Was he going to ask something serious of her this time? His red eyes looked straight into hers.

“Think of yourself once in a while, Lady Isolde.”

Isolde's yellow eyes widened.

“Even you will collapse under the weight if you try to shoulder too much.”

“...”

“Just as mixing too many colors indiscriminately will eventually turn everything black.”

His hands, not particularly large, lightly patted both her shoulders.

“Set down some of the weight on these shoulders from time to time.”

For some reason, Isolde felt considerably lighter.

“Try sleeping in. Go out for some fresh air and a laugh. Spend some idle time gazing at the birds flying overhead. None of that is a waste of time.”

“...”

“I'll check on you the next time we meet. Don't forget your promise.”

With that, Adrian turned and walked away.

* * *

To be honest—

'I thought she was going to ask how I knew about Divine Ascension.'

I'd brushed it off at the black market, but I had no real excuse to offer. I'd been terribly nervous, so it was a relief that wasn't what she wanted.

But there was no telling when the question might occur to her again. I was hurrying to get away when—

“Wait.”

Isolde called me back yet again.

'... Damn it.'

Should I pretend I hadn't heard? But I'd already flinched. Left with no choice, I stopped and turned around to find her staring at me.

She clearly had something to say. As I waited anxiously, her topaz eyes sparkled.

“The next time we meet, may I call you Adrian?”

“Whatever you're comfortable with.”

... And here I'd been worried. I let out an inward sigh of relief.

Come to think of it, back in the allied army, she'd addressed me as “you” or “hey, you.” What had she called me when we first met? Oh, right. Something about a beast, I think.

She had thoroughly despised me for tearing into monster hearts and eating them. As such, we hadn't been on particularly good terms in the allied army.

Anyway, calling me by my name was hardly a big deal. I was casually turning away again when it happened.

◆Isolde's affinity toward you is increasing!!

An affinity message suddenly appeared before my eyes.

◆Isolde's affinity toward you has entered the [Closeness] state!

◆A person in the [Closeness] state feels basic goodwill toward you.

◆This person shows consideration for your words and actions, and tends to put your needs before their own.

◆However, continued attention and consideration are still required. If contact is broken off, affinity may easily decrease.

Isolde's affinity had suddenly reached [Closeness]. Since it was only one stage above [Indifference], it wasn't particularly high—

'Isolde?'

But when the person in question was Isolde, that changed everything. She was the Saintess who considered everyone someone she had to embrace, even Ian, the Hero. And because of that, she felt no personal fondness for anyone.

Perhaps that was why.

◆Starting Hidden Quest [I'll Steal Her Away].

I had met the conditions to trigger a Hidden Quest. Except there was something decidedly suspicious about its title...

==[I'll Steal Her Away]==

[Details] - Plant a kiss on Isolde!

[Reward] - Aah~♥

[Upon Failure] - No penalty

... Has this thing lost its fucking mind?