Chapter 31 - We're Already Getting to Know Each Other

Hadn't my goal been to avoid becoming a paladin in the first place?

The reason I was going out of my way to train Laward instead of developing my own abilities, despite having gone back five years. The reason I was separating the protagonist from the heroines and making them develop their own strength.

It was all so I could give up a paladin's power.

Because no one wanted to throw away that chastity more than I did.

Once I reached an ending where the world didn't perish, I intended to discard my divine power. I'd cast off my purity as quickly as if I were holding something filthy.

That was my goal.

So even when he asked again, my answer remained the same.

"No."

"Please reconsider. This isn't something to reject out of hand. For someone with divine power, there is no greater honor than becoming the Goddess's sword..."

"Whether I think it over a hundred times or for a hundred days, my answer won't change. I won't become a paladin."

You lot could keep all the chastity for yourselves.

After my repeated, firm refusals, both paladins looked troubled. This clearly wasn't how they'd expected things to go.

Then Chris took another step toward me.

"What on earth is your reason? Is it because you're a heretic after all—"

"Be quiet, Chris."

Chris had tried to sound more forceful, but Blash sank him with a single remark.

"Did you lose to a heretic, then? Or do you think I would invite some heretic into the order?"

"That's... not what I meant."

Watching my closest aide from my previous life get thoroughly dressed down felt odd. I enjoyed it, but at the same time, I wanted to be the only one allowed to give him a hard time. It stirred up some complicated feelings.

"Still, Lord Daywin, I am curious myself. Wielding divine power means that you possess a chaste body and mind, and have met the other conditions that satisfy the Goddess. Someone like you should have no reason to keep the Church at a distance."

Blash's tone grew more serious.

Well, I had no intention of honestly telling him I wanted to stop being chaste. There was no need to lose the respect of the two paladins before me—or of the fellow beside me, Laward.

"I nurture talent. I'm confident I have an eye for young people who can achieve far greater things than I can."

It was half sincere. The best kind of lie.

"I want to focus on fostering their growth."

Laward broke into a broad grin at that.

I hadn't said it to make you happy.

"... I see."

Blash, who had been so passionately trying to persuade me, finally lowered his eyes.

At last, it was over...

"But do you realize something?"

It... wasn't over?

"Even as we speak, our paladins—our brothers—are carrying out their duties. Sadly, some of those brothers go to the Goddess's side in the course of their missions."

Why the sudden emotional appeal?

Was this... what I thought it was?

"With help from someone whose divine power is as strong as yours, Lord Daywin, a few more might survive. Our shortage of personnel often forces us to send small teams on dangerous missions. If we had even one more person at times like those..."

I'd seen this on TV plenty of times. Those charity campaigns about how, even at this very moment, poor people somewhere on Earth were starving.

Blash had given up on persuading me with logic and was trying to tug at my heartstrings.

But...

"That's strange, Commander. Couldn't they just try a little harder?" Laward said, tilting his head.

Said the one who had actually grown up poor.

"... In any case, Lord Daywin, you could be an enormous help!"

Wow. He'd completely ignored Laward.

"Honestly, isn't it a waste to leave such power unused?"

That felt a little unfair.

Unused?

He had no idea how many schemes I was putting into motion behind the scenes.

BZZZ

Just then, the matchbox in my inner pocket buzzed. I quickly clamped a hand over the pocket so they wouldn't notice the vibration.

The Houndry boys had lit a match.

Damn it. Of all times for a call to come in.

They wouldn't use the magic item for anything trivial. It had to be an important report. I needed to check it immediately.

A quick glance revealed the paladins and Laward staring at me as though I was acting strangely.

I'd have to ignore the call for now—

No, wait.

Was there any reason to hide it here? Did I really have to conceal the fact that I was pursuing the Death God's cult?

The Death God's cult. The greatest enemy of the Goddess's faith.

The paladin order wouldn't confront the truth about the cult until the apocalypse had begun. Only then would they learn that the enemies they'd long thought were pursuing separate goals had all belonged to the same faction.

The cult's Five Lamps had been difficult enough to take on individually, and ultimately, we'd failed to defeat them. When we saw them acting as one, we'd despaired.

But what if I shared my information now?

The paladin order and I could become allies working toward the same goal. We could learn of the cult's existence in advance and prepare.

Would that mean Blash wouldn't have to die?

Would the paladins carrying out missions somewhere even now no longer have to die?

That's right. If even one person like me chose to help, countless lives could be saved.

Just like the slogan from that campaign I'd seen somewhere, sometime.

BZZZ

I'd made my decision.

My footsteps rang out as I turned and walked away, taking the matchbox from my inner pocket as I went.

"I have no intention of joining the paladin order. But that doesn't mean I'm just sitting around enjoying myself."

FWOOSH

I immediately lit a match and turned my head, meeting Blash's eyes.

"I've tried doing nothing but enjoying myself, too. It didn't end well."

A short walk brought me to a street stall selling grilled skewers.

"Let me borrow your fire."

I tossed the match into the brazier full of charcoal.

WHOOSH!

The tiny flame swelled, revealing the image of an entirely different place.

-I'll make my report.

The flames spoke.

-I followed the intruders who broke into the mansion and found them making contact with members of the Death God's cult.

-I switched targets and began tailing the cult members instead.

-They led me here. Can you see it?

Yes. I could see it clearly.

An altar.

An altar where people appeared to have been burned as sacrifices shimmered in the flames.

031

"Commander, this is..."

"Yes, Chris. The ritual we've only seen in books."

The two paladins stared into the flames, their expressions suddenly grave.

"Something that must never happen again."

Blash emphasized the word 'again.'

"Lord Daywin, what on earth is this?"

His voice was firm, almost angry.

"This is where we ended up while pursuing those who targeted House Hasgard at the Subjugation Festival. So this really is..."

"Yes, this is the Death God's cult's method. Not simply burning them, but doing it upside down like this."

Seemingly conscious that we were in the street, Blash lowered his voice and refrained from describing it in detail.

"The problem is that they were eradicated a hundred years ago."

Precisely because he normally spoke so loudly, there was something intimidating about the way he dropped his voice.

Unlike me, who'd been pushed into becoming commander, he offered a glimpse of why he'd earned that position.

"How horrible... But Commander, couldn't these people simply be imitating the Death God's cult?"

"That would be a problem in itself, but I'd rather hope you're right. We need to investigate first. Lord Daywin, can you tell us where this is?"

"Of course."

Professionals would be helping with Houndry's work. I couldn't ask for anything better.

"Thank you. If you truly have uncovered signs of the Death God's cult, Lord Daywin, you've done us a tremendous service."

Yes, yes. Now you appreciated my hard work.

I'd been diligently doing my part without joining some paladin order.

"Though I hope that's not the case. I truly hope it isn't..."

As Blash furrowed his brows in distress, Chris began moving behind him.

"Commander, I'll find a 'courier' and contact the order. That will be the fastest way. I'll have them head for the location as soon as they read the letter."

"Chris, no. To use a courier..."

"I'll cover the cost. This is urgent, isn't it?"

"No, Lord Daywin, you shouldn't... No, thank you. I'll set aside my pride and accept your generosity."

Blash started to refuse, but ultimately bent at the waist in gratitude. It was his second deep bow today.

For the commander of a knightly order, he bowed far too readily. Quite the contrast to his huge frame.

"Lord Daywin, Chris and I will take our leave for now. We'll see you tomorrow at the academy."

The academy?

He'd said he'd come for me, not Laward. Didn't that mean he had no further business there?

"Oh, and as a precaution, you should tell the people who reported this to withdraw for now. If this truly is the Death God's cult, they're in danger."

I tried to ask him about it, but Blash simply said his piece and turned away.

"... They're gone."

"Yes. They appeared out of nowhere and left just as suddenly."

Though I was the one who'd sent them off so abruptly.

"By the way, Laward. You said Commander Blash hadn't come looking for you."

"Apparently not. Still, since he came for you, esteemed mentor, he clearly has an eye for talent!"

"Then why did I buy you a sword...?"

"Pardon?"

My gaze drifted to his back. To the sword strapped there.

"You haven't used it yet, have you?"

"No... I haven't used it ye... B-but why do you ask?"

"Hand it over."

The instant I said it, Laward snatched the sword into his arms. I'd never seen him move so fast.

"N-no!"

"If you haven't used it yet, I can get a refund. I still have the receipt, so there's no need for an embarrassing argument with the shopkeeper."

"No. I'm in the middle of getting close to Holiday."

Who was that?

"Holiday and I are already... getting to know each other."

Laward gazed tenderly down at the sword cradled in his arms.

It was good that he wasn't connecting with the heroines with that look in his eyes anymore, but he looked at the sword so lovingly that I wondered whether he'd awakened to an even more dangerous taste.

"That's why I'm telling you to hand over Holiday, or whatever it's called, before you get to know it any better."

It even shared part of my name, which made it all the more unpleasant.

"Not even for you, esteemed mentor!"

"Remember who bought it for you."

Ah. What a waste of money.

Watching Laward, who'd already become obsessed with the first gift I'd ever given him, reminded me of someone.

There was a heroine like that, too. One who loved swords and swordsmanship despite being a mage... Who even aspired to become the Sword Saint...

A sword geek.

"Aaargh!"

At the weapons shop in front of the academy, a girl knelt before the display window.

Short blond hair. Hairpins, a necklace, earrings. A girl who'd adorned most of her body except her hands.

It was Rebecca.

"Someone bought it!"

CLATTER!

Rebecca burst into the shop in a panic.

"Did someone really buy the sword that was there?"

"Which sword? Oh, yes, someone bought it. Paid the full asking price without a fuss."

The clerk who'd served Daywin answered languidly.

"Oh, come on! You promised to sell it to me!"

"You should have brought the money sooner."

"Where's a student supposed to get that kind of money? I told you I was saving up. I've got a scholarship now, so I could have had enough soon! You're so mean, honestly!"

"Rebecca, I know it's not my place to say this, but I'd rather you didn't spend your scholarship on a sword..."

"What else would I spend it on?"

"Or you could lower your standards. We still have plenty of cheaper swords."

"I was taught that a sword chooses its swordsman, and that you should treat your sword like a lover. How could I look at someone else when I already have a lover?"

"... Plenty of people do."

"What?"

"Never mind. You're still... too young for that conversation."

That day ended with nothing more than a dejected Rebecca, but the real trouble came the following day.

At the academy the next day, Rebecca was walking with her roommate, Esther, when they came across Daywin and Laward sitting on a bench, waiting for the paladin order's visit.

"There!"

Rebecca thrust out a finger.

"What? Who?"

"The person who stole my lover!"

"... What? Rebecca, my sponsor would never do that! Stealing someone else's lover, or snatching someone away before they could become someone's lover... He would never, ever do anything so shameless...!"

"No. I don't know why your fantasies are so detailed, but I'm not talking about him—"

Rebecca pointed her long finger straight at the sword Laward wore. Esther's eyes followed it.

"I'm talking about this one."

Unbeknownst to Daywin, the Laward–Rebecca storyline had begun in a distorted form.

A special bond, unlike the one in the game.

A bond of ill fate.