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Volume 5 Chapter 9: Movements Across the Lands

Volume 5 Chapter 9: Movements Across the Lands

At the Temple of Job Change in the Star City of Crete.

The Shrine Maiden who served the God of New Jobs was diligently cleaning the temple, just as she did every day.

「Good evening!」

That night, a face that was different from the usual ones appeared at the temple office.

「Ah, Fang-san, it’s been a while.」

It was Fang, the Hero of the Holy Sword. He was accompanied by a woman in military uniform, who introduced herself as Fang’s second-in-command.

「It’s been months, hasn’t it, Priestess of Job Change? …Ah, sorry to ask out of the blue, but has Axel returned to the Star City?」

「Eh? Axel, the Carrier, you mean? …I haven’t seen him around the city. I don’t think he’s back yet.」

Though she wasn’t certain, she hadn’t heard any rumors about a Flying Carrier on her visits to the city. So, she told Fang that Axel probably wasn’t in Star City at the moment.

「I see… So, I guess I’ll have to follow him again. I’ve heard rumors that he stopped by Eniado, so maybe I’ll find him there… Well, off we go.」

「Wait, you’re going to Eniado?」

「Eh…? Yes, that’s the plan.」

Upon hearing Fang’s words, the priestess suddenly thought of something.

She voiced it out loud.

「In that case, there’s someone dealing with a troublesome situation. Could you take that person with you?」

「A situation?」

「Yes. Errm, Let me bring that person here.」

Saying this, the priestess headed to the back of the office where the living space was.

There, a man was cleaning—Louis, an acolyte who served the local god of Eniado.

「Hm? Priestess, is something wrong?」

「Louis, could you come over here for a moment? The Hero of the Sword is heading to Eniado, and I think it would be good for you to speak with them about some matters.」

「I see. Understood.」

Louis nodded, stopped his cleaning, and walked over. The priestess then stood with Louis in front of Fang and the others.

「Is this the person dealing with the situation?」 Fang asked.

「Yes. This is Louis, the acolyte of Eniado’s land’s God.」

As the priestess introduced him, Louis bowed his head slightly.

「Nice to meet you, Hero of the Sword. I’m Louis, a member of the Archaeology Guild of Eniado, and a humble acolyte.」

「Nice to meet you. I’m Fang. So, what brings you here from Eniado?」

「Ah… I was sent here by the Land God, but it seems the task has already been completed without my knowledge.」

「Eh? Such a thing can happen?」

「Yes… The task was for me to arrange a meeting between the Land God and Axel, the Carrier, whom you just mentioned.」

As soon as Fang heard this, a soft sigh escaped him.

「I see… So, you too were caught off guard by Axel’s speed. I understand that feeling. Stalking him is definitely a challenge.」

「U-um…? I feel like the meaning behind that might be slightly off…」

「Ah, sorry. I didn’t mean stalking, it’s more like, obsession, or fixation? Something of that sort. Anyway, fulfilling those feelings is pretty difficult when we are talking about him.. He’s not an easy person to keep up with. In the first place—」

「Ah! Wait! This conversation is kind of drifting off course. Anyway, Louis here is heading back to Eniado. I was hoping he could join you as a guide for the journey.」

Since the conversation seemed to be heading in a scary direction, the priestess, though feeling a bit forceful, decided to steer it back on track.

And it seemed that the course correction worked,

「Hmm? You’re asking me to accompany you? Can’t you just return on your own?」

Fang asked, his tone now more composed.

Relieved, the priestess began explaining Louis’ situation.

「No, I think it should be fine. But apparently, on his way here, he was targeted and attacked.」

「Yes, by those claiming to be followers of the Demon Lord.」

The moment Louis spoke those words, Fang’s demeanor changed.

「I see?」

Fang’s atmosphere shifted completely.

「…」

Completely different from attitude changes from before. A kind of pressure seemed to emanate from him, despite the smile on his face.

The pressure was heavy enough for Louis, who was nearby, to gulp for breath.

「The Demon Lord, huh? That’s… not good.」

「Indeed… But, General, I think you should hold back your Aura. This is a temple, after all. We’re in the presence of the gods.」

Upon hearing his second-in-command’s words, Fang let out a small 「Ah,」 and the pressure that had been surrounding him instantly dissipated.

In that instant, the priestess felt a trickle of sweat running down her spine, as though her body, once unable to react under pressure, was finally responding to the release of tension.

「Sorry about that. An old habit, you know.」

「Heroes seem to get especially tense when it comes to the Demon Lord… Please accept my apologies.」

「No, no, it’s alright,」

When the priestess replied, the usual friendly smile returned to Fang’s face.

「Great. Anyway, I understand the situation. Let’s go together then. It just so happens that I arrived on the latest magic-powered carriage, so we can travel safely and quickly.」

「I-Is that so?」

「The carriage still has plenty of space, and there are no issues with the seating. But we’re not going directly to Eniado. We plan to stop by the port city of Sylvestre and the Holy City of Irminsul on the way. That okay with you? It shouldn’t take long given the carriage’s speed.」

「Ah, as the General says, I can vouch for the carriage’s performance. It’s definitely faster than a normal carriage. The rest is up to Louis here.」

Louis, who had been sweating just like the priestess, thought for a moment before nodding firmly.

「No problem at all. In fact, I’m grateful for the offer, Hero of the Sword. I’d prefer this over walking or riding another carriage. …I also plan to prepare a proper reward to repay for this favor.」

「Thank you. Please direct that gratitude towards the country. It’s the military’s duty to help the citizens, after all.」

「Indeed. The reason we’re using the magic-powered carriage is also to check the condition of the roads between cities. It’s part of the job.」

「I see. Understood. …That said, since it’s a matter of goodwill, I’d like to pay you properly for the safety and time you’re providing.」

「My, my, so be it.」

Despite some hurdles, it seemed the matter was settled.

「Thank you so much, Fang-sama. This is a great help. I’ve been tied up with the Gods’ actions recently and haven’t been able to leave the temple at all.」

「Don’t mention it. As I said, I’m just testing out the magic carriage.」

「A cutting-edge magic carriage… I’d love to ride in one myself.」

「If you can make it to the capital, I’m sure you’ll be able to try it out. Though, I imagine it’ll be a slightly safer version with less focus on performance than the one I’m using now.」

「Does the one you’re riding have that much focus on performance?」

「Yes. It can reach the City of Water in just a few days.」

「That’s… impressive.」

The Water City was surrounded by hills and mountain paths, so a normal carriage would take much longer to get there.

「If the roads are rough, it becomes difficult to control, and it could fly off the road, so we only use its speed on well-maintained roads. But it’s still a pretty remarkable machine. …Though even with all that, it’s no match for Axel’s speed.」

「Ah, well, Axel’s speed is so ridiculous even the gods are amused by it.」

「Exactly… Once we pass Eniado, there aren’t many roads left, so I’d prefer if we could stay on the main roads. …Though, that’s probably asking too much.」

「Ahaha… Yeah, trying to chase him down is nearly impossible.」

「Yes. But the more difficult it is, the more rewarding stalking him becomes!」

「General. Please stop talking like that before we get in trouble. I’ll be forced to silence you, physically.」

Fang, who was forcibly silenced by his second-in-command, coughed to clear his throat and—

「Well then, I’ll take my leave here. Excuse me, Priestess.」

「Yes, please take care. And thank you for looking after Louis.」

「Understood. As the Hero of the Sword, I’ve accepted the task.」