Chapter 62 - Demonic Sword - 2

Bera had come to the smithy early that morning and was discussing swords with Dovan when a sudden voice made him look up.

“It seems you have another customer.”

“... No.”

“Pardon?”

At that denial, Bera looked at Dovan. The old man’s face had twisted into a scowl, openly displaying his displeasure.

“A nuisance has arrived. Would you wait a moment? I’ll chase him off and be right back.”

“I’ll come with you. There’s no reason for me to stay here alone.”

“... I’m sorry you may have to witness something ugly.”

“Not at all.”

CREAK.

Dovan’s wheelchair began to move.

Following him outside, Bera frowned at the figures—plural—beyond the front gate.

‘An army?’

The unwelcome visitors Dovan had spoken of were a force of roughly thirty soldiers in matching armor. Like Dovan, they were bear beastfolk. Most were powerfully built, but the one who stood out was the figure at the very front, the only one wearing different armor. With black fur, bronze skin, and ink-black armor, that bear beastfolk radiated particularly formidable strength.

‘General-level.’

His presence was at least that powerful.

Every one of them carried a threatening, overbearing air. Bera immediately recognized that it was not a natural atmosphere, but one they had deliberately created to provoke their opponent.

‘Of course,’ Bera thought.

Anything else would have made no sense. Dovan was a craftsman who would be treated with the utmost respect anywhere on the continent. Naturally, there would be groups seeking to recruit him. It was hardly strange for such an organized force, led by someone of a general’s caliber, to come calling.

Bera looked at Dovan again.

‘A nuisance...’

If he had to guess, Dovan did not want to belong to any organization.

As Bera considered this, Dovan shouted with a fierce scowl.

“Leave! I told you plainly that I have no intention of joining you!”

“Stubbornness will get you nowhere! How long do you intend to neglect your duty?”

As though this had happened many times before, the general responded in the same tone Dovan had used.

“We must put an end to this political turmoil! Set aside your selfish desires! How much longer do you think we’ll tolerate this? You must consider the greater cause. The greater cause!”

“You’re the ones being selfish! And the greater cause? What greater cause is there in your greed? Do you think those are words you can throw around so carelessly?”

Their voices rose. The atmosphere grew so heated it seemed ready to explode at any moment.

Amid the argument, Bera sensed people approaching from the backyard and turned his head. It was Renée and Aisha. He let out a quiet breath, looked forward again, and spoke to Dovan.

“Would you allow me to handle this?”

This was not a scene he wanted Renée to witness. At the request prompted by that thought, Dovan looked at him. Meeting his eyes, Bera added an explanation.

“I believe this is something I can resolve.”

He was not making an empty offer. Bera had a card he could play to put an end to this situation. Seeing the confidence in his face, Dovan groaned before answering.

“... I keep troubling you.”

“Let’s call it an investment.”

With that, Bera approached the general.

The general’s expression tightened slightly at Bera’s approach.

“Who are you?”

Bera tilted his head back, naturally enough given the difference in their size. Bear beastfolk were much larger than humans, and this general was particularly huge even among them. Looking up at him, Bera reached inside his clothes, took out his rosary, and held it before the general.

“We are a delegation from the Holy Empire. Is there a problem?”

“H-Ho—!”

“Shh.”

Bera placed an index finger before his lips and added,

“Raising your voice would be inconvenient.”

Consternation spread across the general’s face. Watching his bewilderment, Bera felt relieved that the man at least seemed capable of thinking.

The card Bera held was his position as an apostle of the Holy Empire.

‘The beastfolk cannot oppose the Holy Empire.’

Even if they wished to, they could not show it. It was Bargo who had smashed the skull of Tiger King Haman, their oppressor and exploiter, and placed freedom in their hands.

Watching the general’s eyes dart about in his tense face, Bera added one more remark.

“I am here on business entrusted to me by His Holiness, so I would appreciate it if you left for today.”

GRIND.

Bera saw the general grind his teeth, but did not call attention to it. Whatever thoughts they harbored, whatever they did behind the scenes, he knew they could never openly oppose the Holy Empire. This platinum-colored rosary reminded them whose grace allowed them to live as they did.

As long as Bargo lived, the beastfolk’s alliance of kingdoms had to maintain an obedient stance toward the Holy Empire. Unless they wished to be left behind in continental affairs, unless they wanted to be branded ungrateful scoundrels, this was an absolute rule they had to follow. Fortunately, the bear beastfolk general understood its significance well.

“... We are always grateful for His Holiness’s grace.”

With those words and a grim expression, the general turned and departed with his soldiers.

Bera watched the soldiers recede, then turned back to Dovan, Renée, and Aisha.

“I’m glad we could resolve it through conversation.”

His tone was as blunt as ever.

* * *

“How did you do it? Make those soldiers withdraw, I mean.”

They were in the forest around the smithy. After the soldiers had left, Renée had belatedly heard a rough account of what had happened. Now, during their walk, a question occurred to her, and she asked Bera. He checked their surroundings to ensure no one was nearby, then answered quietly.

“I showed them my rosary. It seemed a far better choice than creating needless friction.”

Renée’s shoulders jerked in surprise. She spoke in a worried tone.

“I-is that all right? Um, my whereabouts and things like that...”

Renée knew how much effort the Holy Empire had put into concealing her movements. And had Bera not worked hardest of all? Worried that he might have exposed the cover he had painstakingly established out of concern for her safety, she asked, and he answered calmly.

“It is all right. Those in the know are aware that apostles undertake incognito journeys. More importantly, my assignment as your escort has not been made public, so no one will connect me with you, Saintess.”

“Oh, that’s right.”

Only then did Renée remember that this was her first journey with Bera, and she let out a relieved breath.

Watching Renée relax with a sigh, Bera recalled the exchange between Dovan and the general.

‘That wasn’t a simple recruitment offer.’

The general had clearly used the words “duty” and “greater cause.” Dovan had immediately rejected them, but Bera felt they were not words one would use merely to recruit a single blacksmith.

However accomplished he might be, Dovan was still a blacksmith. A few well-forged weapons did not mean much in a war. Of course, things would be different if Dovan’s Masterpiece, the demonic sword, were completed, but the sword was not yet truly finished.

‘There’s something here.’

Bera intuitively sensed that this was connected to the event that would complete the demonic sword—the event he had considered the day before.

Strictly speaking, he could ignore the whole affair. He could simply place his order and head to their next destination. After all, the specifications for his sword would be more or less settled today. Whatever kind of person Dovan was, however the demonic sword came to be completed, it was not his business. Ultimately, this would lead to the creation of the demonic sword, and Aisha would use it to fight the Demon King. There was not the slightest disadvantage in it for him.

So he could simply let it pass... Yet for some reason, it weighed on his mind. Something he could only call frustration welled up inside him. It was a purely personal feeling.

For Renée’s sake, it might be better to leave the matter alone, finish placing his order, and depart quickly. But Bera found that difficult. Frowning slightly, he clenched his fist for a moment, released it, and spoke to her.

“... Saintess.”

“Oh, yes?”

Bera hesitated again. How should he put this? How could he say that he felt uneasy simply placing his order and leaving, and ask whether they might stay here to help Dovan?

Unable to organize his thoughts, Bera fell silent. Renée tilted her head and asked,

“Is something wrong?”

Bera lowered his head deeply as he answered.

“... Yes. I cannot help feeling that leaving things as they are would be wrong.”

“Um... Does it have something to do with those soldiers earlier?”

“Yes. They must be entangled with Master Dovan in some unfortunate way, and to turn a blind eye and leave...”

His brow furrowed. No matter how he considered it, what he was saying did not seem logical.

“... It troubles me.”

He felt he was speaking on the basis of nothing but an emotional judgment.

Hearing his words and recognizing the emotion behind them, Renée smiled.

“You were thinking the same thing I was?”

Bera raised his head.

“... Pardon?”

“I had a similar thought. Aisha told me that those people have been harassing Dovan.”

A tingling warmth rose in Renée’s heart at finding herself, for once, in accord with Bera, who never seemed to understand her feelings. She was also delighted that Bera, who had been so concerned only with her safety in the Great Forest, had now thought of others first and acted for them. Her smile deepened with those feelings. Turning toward where his face would be, she added,

“It’s only natural to help someone in trouble, isn’t it?”

There was a touch of playfulness in her words.

“We must do what is right.”

Bera’s eyes widened slightly. His answer carried a hint of emotion.

“Yes. Indeed we must.”

A small smile rested on his lips as he spoke.

* * *

In the smithy’s reception room, Renée sat facing Dovan. Taking out her platinum rosary, she asked,

“Is there anything we can help you with?”

She and Bera had considered how they might hear the full story from Dovan. After all, what was happening was his private business, not something they could expect him to explain merely because they asked. As customers who had only come to place an order, prying into it would be rude.

This was the solution they had devised: honestly reveal their own identities before asking about him. The platinum-colored rosary held a special significance for beastfolk. At the very least, presenting it would prove that their offer was not made lightly.

Having spoken and held out the rosary, Renée waited for Dovan’s reply. Faced with the rosary and her words, Dovan looked aghast. His guests’ utterly unexpected identities left him unable to find anything to say; he merely opened and closed his mouth. Aisha, beside him, was much the same.

At the sight of the rosary, and the identity of the “woman with something wrong in her head” she had finally discovered, Aisha began to regret what she had said that morning.

[“Are you some religious nut?”]

Aisha’s face went white. Her ears stood straight up, and her tail tucked between her legs.

‘I-I’m in big trouble...!’

She began gauging the right moment to drop to her knees.