Chapter 307 - 307. The Knights and the Thieves
As I stepped on the rubble at my feet, a chill slowly seeped into my skin.
"It's cold..."
The dungeon we were in just moments ago had been kept at a constant temperature. Then, in an instant of spatial transfer, we were thrown into the outside world, exposed to the biting cold of this mountaintop.
The surrounding walls were bathed in a pale, bluish light. Looking up, there was no ceiling, only a near-half moon shining down silently. Its glow seemed to accentuate the cold even more.
This place must have once been a vast, stone-built hall. Now, the walls that had enclosed it were brutally collapsed, their remains exposed at varying heights. The plaster had fallen away, revealing dark red bricks beneath. It was likely the result of utter destruction by a giant.
There should have been a stone monument like the one in Fam's village marking the dungeon entrance, but it was nowhere to be found.
"How long are you two going to hold hands?"
Mizuki's exasperated tone made me realize I was still holding Fam's hand. Her small, soft hand was the only warm thing, and I felt like I could hold it forever. As I thought that, she squeezed my hand tightly.
"We'll be together forever."
I couldn't tell who her words were for. Was it a retort to Mizuki, a promise to me, or something she was telling herself? Still, Fam's firm tone brought an involuntary smile to my face. Seeing it, she scowled, her eyebrows arching in annoyance.
"It's a misunderstanding. Let's go meet Torusa and the others."
I squeezed her hand even tighter and helped her over a large piece of rubble at our feet.
Just then, beyond the crumbling wall, I saw several orange lights appearing over the fortress ramparts. They swayed back and forth as they headed our way, perhaps having noticed our presence.
"It's the knights of House Wanland."
Maira murmured with a sense of relief.
It happened a moment later. I heard the sound of rubble shifting behind us. I spun around instinctively to see men in red hoods emerging one after another from the very spot where we had returned from the dungeon.
The knights of House Wanland and the Crimson Brigade faced off, with us caught in the middle.
Torusa, leading the knights, kept his eyes fixed on me as he extended an arm horizontally.
At his signal, the knights behind him smoothly fanned out to both sides, beginning to form an encirclement around the Crimson Brigade.
Seeing this, the members of the Crimson Brigade drew their weapons. The air grew taut, and the tension was so thick it felt crushing.
"Torusa, wait. I've made a deal with the Crimson Brigade."
"Oh? And what sort of deal might that be?"
Torusa tilted his head with feigned curiosity, a smile playing on his lips.
"I'm letting them escape to the Demon Kingdom."
The smile vanished from Torusa's face, replaced in an instant by a harsh expression. He glared at me as if I were the enemy.
"You must be joking. If I recall, you hated them more than any of us, did you not?"
His gaze shifted from me to Fam, stopping on her arm. Fam tried to twist her body to hide the slave crest, but she couldn't since she was holding my hand. He snorted.
"I see. Now I remember, your anger was on behalf of that young girl. But this is utterly unacceptable. Are you saying that you would weigh the city of Migul against that girl and decide she is more important?"
This fortress is in the mountainous region separating the Demon Kingdom from the Empire. It's essentially a neutral zone, untouched by either nation's influence—a place neither side enters, to avoid provoking the other. The Crimson Brigade used this vacuum to occupy the fortress. Now, by bringing troops here, we are attempting to occupy it, even if temporarily. And I intend to let the witnesses to this act escape into the Demon Kingdom. Migul, in particular, has strong independent leanings within the Empire. For such a city to send its army near the border without the Empire's permission... In the worst-case scenario, we could earn the ire of both the Empire and the Demon Kingdom. From Torusa's perspective, he would fail in his objective to annihilate the brigade while shouldering all the risk. There was no way he could accept this. He stared intently at me, raising one hand to give the order to attack.
"Yes."
I nodded. Fam looked up at me as if she wanted to say something, but I nudged her with my shoulder to silence her.
"You would let them escape, even if it means confronting our knights?"
"Yes."
"They will just attack another settlement. There will be more victims like that girl."
"Even so."
"That girl isn't the only woman who loves you. Marianne-sama will be cornered, both politically and as the leader of the dog-eared race. This entire operation was practically for your sake. What about her feelings?"
"Marianne will understand."
Torusa let out a long sigh. He slowly lowered his raised hand. Seeing this, I shifted my gaze to the Crimson Brigade. They were frozen in a defensive formation, ready to receive the knights' charge. I sent a look toward Jinma, who stood in their center.
After a moment, a stout man from the brigade clambered over a pile of rubble and walked toward us.
"The slave trader."
Nefy whispered.
I waited for him to reach us before letting go of Fam's hand. I gently pushed her toward the slave trader.
The slave trader took Fam's arm and held his hand over her slave crest. His hand glowed faintly, the light pouring into the crest. It felt like Fam was being defiled, and my heart roiled as anger welled up within me. But all I could do was watch in silence.
As I stood there, lost in these thoughts, Maira hesitantly approached.
"The 'Slave Trader' is a special profession. You can't become one without changing jobs at a church. Therefore, the church is required to report them to the state. They're supposed to be strictly regulated."
It seems that 'professions' aren't something you can only acquire by going to a church. Mizuki and I are special cases, but some people are apparently born with them or acquire them by chance. To place a slave crest on someone, a contract is necessary. Whether through words or violence, the person must accept it before the crest can be applied. But for a group like the Crimson Brigade, which can force that acceptance, they can do as they please.
I stopped tapping my thigh and crossed my arms.
"Maira, you're talking about how things are within the Empire, right? The Empire doesn't rule the entire world. The rules are probably different in other regions, and the regulations might not be as strict."
"I've heard it's the same in the western kingdoms and the Demon Kingdom, but as for lands even farther away... that might be the case. However, I've never heard of the church existing any further than that."
Maira looked up at the sky, lost in thought. I followed her gaze. The air was clear, and the moonlight was sharp and brilliant. Its light was cold, as if trying to freeze the world solid.
When I lowered my gaze back to the ground, I realized Jinma was gone.
And then he suddenly appeared before me.
Maira tensed up.
"To think you'd actually try to keep your promise to me..."
His gaze was as cold and unreadable as ever.
"Shut up! Just be quiet."
"You're going to the Demon Kingdom too, aren't you?"
I shot a quick glance at Nefy, the likely source of his information, but she only returned a smile.
"I'm not going with you. We're not friends. The next time we meet, I'll kill you."
Jinma laughed at my words. It seemed to have escaped him naturally. There was no coldness in it, and for the first time, I felt something human in him.
"You said a transferee's lifespan is ten years. That you're traveling to break that curse. Can you break mine, too?"
"That's up to you. Stop your plundering. And keep apologizing to Fam until she forgives you."
Jinma snorted. Then he turned his back. Just then, Fam's slave crest disappeared. Jinma jerked his chin, and he and the slave trader returned to the Crimson Brigade.
He gave an order to the brigade. He likely wouldn't look back at us again.
The cluster of torches departed from us in an orderly fashion. I watched them go.
"It seems they trust you, Mash."
Maira murmured.
"No... I really was about to ruin everything. This is all thanks to Nefy."
Nefy was also watching the Crimson Brigade leave with us. I didn't know what kind of conversation had passed between her and Jinma, but it seemed she intended to continue traveling with us. Next to her, Mami was leaning against Mizuki. She was never very talkative, but now she appeared to be fast asleep.
If I had been standing here with the same feelings I had before fighting the Area Guardian, I don't know what would have happened. The thought sent a cold sweat running down my spine. But letting them go is the same as creating more victims. They'll just do the same things in the Demon Kingdom. Was Nefy okay with that? I glanced at her profile, but I couldn't read anything from her composed expression.
I realized Torusa was standing next to me.
"I'd love to pursue and annihilate them, but the night is too far gone. For tonight, I will honor your wishes, Mash-dono. We can't rule out a surprise attack if they return. It's a pain, but I'll have the auxiliary troops waiting at the foot of the mountain come up to the fortress. Let's rest here for the night. You should stay with us as well, Mash-dono. It would be awkward to bid farewell only to take the same path and run into them again, wouldn't it?"
I couldn't say anything back and just kept quiet. Compared to the fruitless effort I'd put them through, I had to endure a bit of sarcasm.
"May I consider this incident a significant favor you owe me?"
Torusa's eyes flashed.
"Is there something you want? Is it something I can do?"
"It is nothing major. And it is something only you can do."
Torusa shrugged playfully.
"What do I have to do?"
I glanced at Torusa.
"You will become the king of Migul."
"Wha—"
My mouth fell open.
"Why the surprise? You, Mash-dono, are in a relationship with our master, Marianne-sama. And Mami-sama, right there, is the daughter of House Starunion. Furthermore, you have connections to the heir apparent of House Skynorth. As for House Airally, there is little hope of their revival. Your connection to the archbishop is somewhat problematic, but you are already a central figure in Migul."
I hastily shook my head at Torusa's words.
"I'm not cut out for that. I could never be a king."
"Hearing you say that gives us more reason to train you. We would have a bigger problem on our hands if you were brimming with confidence despite your lack of experience."
"No, I may not have told you, Torusa, but transferees only live for ten years in this world."
"But you are traveling to break that curse, are you not? We will wait."
I looked to Maira, pleading for help.
"In that case, I suppose I would be the queen..."
She lifted her face and sighed deeply. The white mist of her breath dissolved into the night sky.
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