CHAPTER 44
Madame Karuang had found Bulldog.
As soon as I heard the news from Horizon, I ran to find Karuang.
In the place I followed Horizon to, Karuang was holding a long tobacco pipe in her mouth.
“Ah, you’re here.”
For some reason, the pipe she was holding looked familiar.
“That pipe.”
“Hm? You have an eye for things. It’s a pipe made by a craftsman I know.”
“No. It’s not that I have an eye for it, but I’ve seen an acquaintance use the same one.”
It was the pipe Ririran used before she was taken out by Cosmic Jac.
“You mean someone used the same one as me?”
Karuang raised one eyebrow, then made an expression as if realizing something.
“Is it Lady Ririran?”
“Do you happen to know her?”
“Of course. I was the one who gifted this pipe to her.”
Between Inferno and her, the world is truly small.
To be precise, it’s probably because people like Ririran and Karuang are in such influential positions.
Even on Earth, presidents of each country know the faces of other rulers or their close aides.
Although Karuang, the Madame of Monghwagol, isn't a ruler of a nation, it wasn't strange for her to have a wide network.
“She is a good person. Even as a fellow woman, she is someone I respect.”
I decided not to mention that Ririran had died once recently.
“I heard you found information about Bulldog.”
“That’s right. Horizon delivered the message well.”
She tapped the ashes from her pipe and stood up.
“First of all, a person from the ‘Radiant Faith’ I mentioned before visited again. That person is quite fond of one of our girls.”
Even if he belongs to a cult, he’s a man.
Liking women doesn't change.
“So I gave a hint to that girl, and he talked about this and that.”
“Is it okay for a member of a cult to have such loose lips?”
“Have you forgotten? This is Nox.”
A lawless zone.
I realized once again what that meant.
Nox was a world where even cult members could walk around openly.
“Anyway, when she asked about a person named Bulldog, he said there was a new recruit who joined the Radiant Faith this time.”
“What?”
I ended up asking back stupidly at her next words.
I doubted my own ears, wondering what I had just heard.
Bulldog is a member of the Radiant Faith?
Could it be a different person with the same name?
“I checked further, and he said it was a mage who handles fire and lightning.”
Damn it, it really is Bulldog.
I’m confused.
Why on earth would Bulldog join the Radiant Faith?
Although that man has a foul mouth, he is someone who doesn't discriminate against anyone.
He even employed me for months when I was a No-Named who hadn’t even properly revealed my ability.
Did he join the Radiant Faith with some other purpose?
My head got complicated.
“Is there anything else you heard?”
“We couldn’t ask more than that. It could arouse unnecessary suspicion.
However, seeing as he said ‘new recruit,’ wouldn’t he be in the same place as the cult members?
I’ve entrusted the task to guys who have a knack for finding people.”
“Thank you. Please, I’m counting on you.”
“I’m just glad I can repay my debt, so I feel at ease.”
I don’t know what happened to Bulldog.
One thing is certain: he is alive.
I decided to take comfort in that as much as possible.
However, apart from this, there is one thing that bothers me.
The fact that there was no mention of Bulldog’s wife anywhere.
She was a lady even kinder than the beast-like Bulldog.
Please, I hope nothing happened to her.
The Radiant Faith. Bulldog.
While my head was complicated with these two issues, I completed the full week Karuang had entrusted to me. As I faithfully fulfilled my role as a Holy Mage, I healed most minor illnesses and injuries.
Fortunately, aside from the initial hundred people, there were no major illnesses during the week.
I used plenty of Holy Magic without needing Resurrection Magic.
Thanks to that, I got the chance to use Holy Magic in practice, and my proficiency increased.
Now, I could easily heal wounds lightly cut by a sword or a common cold.
If Rapiel knew, she would be greatly pleased.
Once the business with the Grace Magic Tower is over, the day will come when I see her again.
Until then, I will achieve enough to surprise her.
“You worked hard. Here is your weekly pay.”
When I finished preparing to leave Monghwagol, Karuang handed me a bag containing gold.
“It’s quite heavy. Did you give me a bonus?”
“I know our children gave you quite a few things saying thank you, so I didn't want to weigh you down on your way out.”
“Haha, you’re quick to notice.”
Certainly, even if they weren’t items I could sell immediately, I received quite a few valuables.
The women of Monghwagol receive countless gifts from the men who adore them.
And those gifts were passed on to me.
Is this what a host living off money from women in the entertainment district feels like?
I don’t know for sure, but I pocketed it thinking of it as the price for my hard work.
“Good work. Can I call you again if there is work next time?”
“You’re a Diamond-tier customer; I have to come whenever you call. Just say the word.”
Thanks to Horizon, I secured a heavy lifeline of money.
For the sake of the regulars I’ll have in the future, I had to act with sincerity.
Karuang smiled broadly.
“Thank you. You really are the benefactor of Monghwagol. Everyone in Monghwagol will remember you in their hearts, so ask for Monghwagol’s help anytime.”
Even if they don't speak of me out loud, they will keep it in their hearts.
Such deep meaning was contained in her words.
“And Horizon... please take good care of that child.”
My eyes turned to Horizon, who was talking with Babiyen.
Horizon was asking Babiyen if she was okay, but Babiyen refrained from speaking as much as possible.
She looked like she was recalling what she had done.
“Maybe because she lived outside, she has changed quite a lot.”
“Changed in a good way?”
“It must be a good way. In the past, she was a child of few words and very shy.
When I heard she brought people, I almost didn't think it was her.”
“People grow in their own ways.”
“There’s that, but it must mean you are people worthy of that much trust.”
I don’t think I’ve done anything particular to deserve trust.
It seems the incident at the Moss Flower Cave was a bigger memory for Horizon than I thought.
“So, please take care of her in the future too.”
“I’m the one receiving help.”
“Then that’s a relief.”
Horizon is competent.
So I was also indebted to her.
With that, we decided to leave Monghwagol.
Clatter!
Just as we stepped out of Monghwagol, the windows of the buildings in Monghwagol opened all at once.
From there, women scattered flowers on the path we were walking.
“Thank you, Saint-nim!”
“I will never forget this grace of saving my life!”
“Come as a customer next time! I will definitely repay the favor!”
The flower petals shone beautifully, mingling with the lights of the red-light district.
It was a scene so beautiful that even Aranseol and Babiyen next to me were mesmerized.
“Everyone is truly, sincerely grateful.”
It was as Horizon said.
These petals contained their gratitude.
“How is it, Aranseol? It’s not worthless, is it?”
If I hadn’t healed them, this was a scene we wouldn’t have seen.
Just this alone made saving them worth it.
“Yeah, it’s beautiful.”
Aranseol also smiled brightly and walked through the petals with a light step.
Is it because the original model is excellent?
The sight of Aranseol walking ahead through the petals was as beautiful as a goddess descending.
“They’re totally lost in it. Lost.”
I heard Babiyen grumbling from the side, but I decided to lightly ignore it.
Afterward, Horizon took charge of guiding the way back.
“Horizon, you could have stayed longer.”
Monghwagol is Horizon’s hometown.
There was no need to rush out because of us when she visited her hometown after a long time.
“It’s okay. I’ve graduated from Monghwagol.”
Horizon looked very mature.
Apart from that, Babiyen remained silent throughout.
As soon as our eyes met, her eyelids trembled; the incident when she was hit by the mental attack must be incredibly embarrassing for her.
“Is it because I’m the only one who didn’t do anything? My body feels a bit stiff.”
Meanwhile, Aranseol made a slightly uncomfortable expression.
Come to think of it, Aranseol had just been lying down the whole time, then trained a bit before returning.
For her, this trip might have been boring.
“We might be able to solve that stiffness soon.”
I gladly offered such an opportunity to Aranseol.
In front of the path Horizon was advancing on.
A group of members stood quietly blocking the alley.
With scars and rugged appearances, they looked exactly like bandits.
“Uh, e-excuse me.”
Even if she is active on the surface now, Horizon is also a resident of Nox.
She was flustered that fellow Nox people blocked her way.
But expecting a sense of kinship from uncivilized bandits was a mistake in the first place.
Bandits don’t attack those who look truly wealthy. Wealthy people usually have their own means of defense.
But the nouveau riche are different.
Those who have just earned a large sum of daily wages are easy to rob.
Because they are most off guard due to having earned money.
Just like those guys who stabbed a knife into my stomach and ran off with only the money on the day I finished my first adventurer job.
Anyway, they are uncivilized This-worlders who are bandits by nature.
Some convey their gratitude for having their lives saved.
Others come to harm lives for money.
It was a world typical of Nox.
“Hey, you guys over there. Shall we put down the bundles and talk?”
Furthermore, these guys probably have nothing to lose.
We came as guests of Monghwagol.
The fact that they are attacking us means their situation is that desperate.
“Hiek!”
At that moment, I felt a heavy sensation on my back.
Wondering what it was, I turned my head to find Babiyen clinging to my back.
Babiyen’s eyes met mine.
Questions hovered in both my and her eyes simultaneously.
Babiyen isn’t the type of personality to be scared of anyone. She was a woman who unhesitatingly stood up against the injustice of her master.
Why is such a woman clinging to my back in surprise right now?
“...Babiyen.”
“Uh, uh, no, t-this is!”
Looking at it, the habits from when she was Baby Babiyen remain.
“...Harua?”
Then, for some reason, Aranseol looked at me with slightly sharp eyes.
It meant: What are you doing sticking together with Babiyen in this situation?
“Babiyen is still a baby.”
“W-Who is a baby!”
Babiyen screamed in horror.
She pulled her head back as far as possible, but her body was still attached to my back.
“Eeeek!”
Babiyen struggled tearfully in panic.
For some reason, I felt like I was looking at a mouse caught in a trap.
“Haa, I didn’t mean I wanted to do something like this.”
Meanwhile, Aranseol sighed and created a sword in her grasp.
It was Aranseol’s personal sword given by the Sword Lord.
Pajik—
At that moment, I saw red sparks flying.
Thinking I saw it wrong, I rubbed my eyes and opened them.
Pa-jijijik!
At that moment, red sparks formed on the sword and crackled.
“That is.”
“Was Ms. Aranseol an Elemental Awakener?”
Horizon revealed a surprised expression.
Elemental Awakener? What’s that?
It was something I didn't know even with common adventurer knowledge.
“...You seem not to know, but mages aren’t the only ones who possess Seeds.”
Then, Babiyen finally detached herself from my back with a thoroughly embarrassed face.
She shuddered as if she had been horrified.
What’s wrong with you? I don’t want to be stuck to you either.
Meanwhile, Babiyen added an explanation.
“Anyone possesses an innate attribute depending on their Seed.
Mages are cases who develop this to the extreme, but even among swordsmen, there are rare cases where they awaken the Seed.”
Those are called Elemental Awakeners.
As far as I knew, Aranseol was not an Elemental Awakener.
That meant she had awakened this time after taking the elixir.
I realized once again how miraculous the elixir given by the Named Merchant was.
As sparks flew from Aranseol’s sword, the bandit members flinched.
They also had expressions that knew the fear of an Elemental Awakener.
“What are you hesitating for, you morons! We have more numbers!”
When the bandit members at the back pushed, those in the front were shoved forward.
Unfortunately, this place was a narrow alleyway.
If pushed from behind, there was no place to retreat.
“Those who don’t want to fight, put down your weapons and get on the ground.”
Even fiercer red sparks leaped from Aranseol’s sword.
“Or else you will suffer a terrible fate.”
Ka-ang—
As Aranseol lightly struck the wall with her sword, red sparks flew violently.
Murderous intent glistened in her eyes.
It was a statement filled with sincerity.
“Fight!”
“Look at the numbers! Why are you scared!”
“If we don’t earn today, we’re finished anyway!”
Eventually, the bandit members rushed at Aranseol all at once.
At the point of committing banditry in Nox, they were the lowest class.
There was no retreat for them.
As they rushed in, Aranseol leaned her body forward without hesitation. At the same time, she stomped on the ground and shot forward like a bullet.
The sword, soaring violently from below to above, slashed through one bandit member. Then, the sparks extending from the sword wrapped around the bandit’s body.
“Aaaaaahk!”
With a death cry, the bandit member was electrocuted and rolled on the ground.
He trembled on the floor, showing symptoms of electric shock.
Aranseol didn’t stop there.
She dug in between the bandit members and swung her sword as if performing a dance.
Every time she did, a bandit member was electrocuted and fell.
Watching that, I realized how dangerous an Elemental Awakener was.
Unlike mages, they had no casting limits, so every swing of the sword was a fatal wound.
“R-Run!”
“Damn it, we’re screwed. Run! Run, I said!”
Eventually, the bandit members gave up and started to flee.
Seeing that, instead of chasing further, Aranseol swung her sword to shake off the red current.
“Horizon.”
“Y-Yes!”
However, I didn’t have a kind heart like Aranseol.
As soon as I called Horizon, she, having lived in Nox, realized what I meant.
Shadows soared from beneath the feet of the fleeing bandits.
Kudang-tang!
Their feet were instantly bound, and they sprawled on the ground.
While Aranseol looked back with a surprised face, I moved my steps.
“Aranseol, things that are bandits will harbor other thoughts if they return alive.”
Babiyen walked beside me.
Before I knew it, she was creating flames in her grasp.
Baby Babiyen was quick-witted.
“We have to make a clear example so they won’t dream of revenge or anything when we come next time.”
When I gestured with my chin, Babiyen threw flames at those bound by shadows.
The bandit members screamed as their bodies burned and rolled on the ground.
“Babiyen, put it out.”
At my command, Babiyen gestured, and the flames extinguished.
Then, Babiyen looked down at her hand with a reluctant face.
“...Maybe because I went berserk, my mana efficiency has increased.”
Did that side grow without realizing it too?
Thinking good is good, I stood in front of the burned bandit member.
Then, I stomped on the hand of the guy who was giving orders earlier.
Kwajik!
Because his body was burned, the sound of brittle bones breaking rang out.
“Aaaahk!”
The bandit member screamed at the top of his lungs, but there was no one to help him.
This is Nox.
A place where the principle of survival of the fittest is applied best.
I imbued Holy Magic into his grasp.
Then his hand started to recover little by little, and I stomped on it again.
“Heuk, uk!”
“Remember our faces well today.”
I hate bandits.
I loathe the scum of society who gave me my first wage theft and my second death.
So there was no reason to show mercy to trash who harm others citing reasons of being socially weak.
“If something like this happens next time we come, I absolutely won’t let you die.”
His face turned pale white.
He knew well that it was a threat worse than death.
He nodded his head frantically.
It was an answer I liked.
When I removed the foot that was crushing him, my eyes met Aranseol’s.
“Are you disillusioned?”
I asked just in case, and Aranseol drooped her shoulders and shrunk her sword.
“Are we close enough to feel disillusioned by something like this?”
That’s true.
“Rather, I learned. I think I lacked malice.”
“No, I don’t think that aspect is bad.”
Aranseol’s kindness isn’t bad.
It’s just that the world, which doesn’t return kindness properly even when it is given, is wrong.
And I know best that the world cannot be changed.
So neither Aranseol nor I feel disillusioned.
It was just this kind of world.
“Uh, uuh, do we just leave them after doing this much?”
Horizon, who had drawn her sword with both hands at some point, tilted her head this way and that.
The atmosphere was as if she would dismantle a person any moment.
Is it because I heard she is from Nox?
She looks timid on the outside, but sometimes a chilling side is visible.
However, Horizon didn’t ask further and let them go.
“It-It’s strange. No matter what, Nox usually doesn’t touch guests of the same neighborhood family.”
Horizon looked at the bandit members and tilted her head.
“...Could there be some circumstances?”
“It’s none of our business.”
Everyone has circumstances.
But that didn’t mean there was a reason to consider those circumstances.
“Let’s go back.”
We saw both the good and the bad in Nox.
Now it was time to get some fresh air outside.