Chapter 23: Little Doesn't Mean Nothing
"You did it again," a young-looking man made a weary face as he let out a sigh. "This was supposed to be a seven-day training, yet you only covered half of it... Well, whatever. I got the money, that's enough. So, what now? I can't get you out on the promised schedule, unfortunately. Rules are rules, after all."
I was currently in a square room within the guild grounds.
It's not a big one. Only five by five in size.
To top it off, it was pretty much blank there, other than the all too shiny walls and roofs to the point of tastelessness.
The man talking to me was Reis. He's one of the instructors in the Paladins' Guild. Despite that fact, Reis had an overall small stature in this large-bodied focus's place, though there was no doubt that behind his non-threatening appearance was a skill that wouldn't be an exaggeration to say was outstanding.
I truly accept him as my teacher. His method of teaching, and him personally are a big plus.
"Oi, Taka. You hear me?" He called out.
"Yes."
"What's it like, then? Want to pass the time?"
"Sure. Like the usual."
"Right." He sighed. "Ask me whatever that is, then."
You can see where this is going...
Reis, naturally, knows more things than me, as someone who has lived longer than me.
I took the opportunity in our lapse of free time to find out things that I still didn't know about. In fact, I knew the basics about Alterna's surroundings when I first arrived in Grimgar thanks to him.
Well, he's not a very good storyteller, that much can't be helped. Still, he has enough interesting stories to keep me at the mercy of his teachings.
So what should I ask first? I thought about that.
Usually, I like to get straight to the point.
This time, anyhow, I decided to take a different approach.
"How old are you?"
That's the first.
"Of all things, you chose that?" Reis smacked his forehead.
"I thought it wouldn't be such an unusual thing to ask..."
Reis' appearance was deceptive.
The white hair that fell to his ears in a rough manner wasn't due to age, for instance.
The shape of his face, his skin tone, and his body's curves were typical of those in their early twenties, as well.
I have no particular reason for asking this question other than morbid curiosity, let's just be frank. I simply wanted to strengthen our relationship as fellow human beings. They say that in deepening a relationship with someone, you shouldn't take it too seriously. Just took it easy.
"Yeah, I figured as much. I just didn't expect you to ask that. My appraisal of you is all for a reason."
"This is for a reason, as well."
"Yeah? What for?"
"Curiosity."
"Technically, you're right, but that's not--- Oh, well, whatever. I give up."
"So?"
"No, I won't answer."
"That's not cool."
"Yeah, I--- Hey, is that really you, Taka? Did you get your head bumped up somewhere?"
"I'm fine," I put his hand aside from my forehead. "What are you even worrying about?"
"Well," he furrowed his eyebrows. "You should be clueless about social interaction."
That is a little bit hurt.
"Who decides that?" I asked.
"Well, that doesn't matter," he laughed it off. "You look like you have grown better in that aspect, or at least you tried to."
"...yeah, sure."
"Anyway," Reis' countenance grew serious all of a sudden. If someone saw the two of us, they might think that he was the one being taught here. His clothing in no way gave away his position. "About Crime. I think I've said this before, but use it only when it comes to the very last and final step. You shouldn't still be able to learn this skill. There is a specific procedure that is required to be passed in order to do so. Although there are some who can skip a number of them, I've never seen this many. It appears that Lumiaris took a liking to you."
"I know,"
Learning this skill itself was a game of chance.
It depended more on luck than ability.
"You know it, yet you still learn it." He gave me a sarcastic look. "Are you that scared of dying?"
"I guess."
"You certainly don't sound like it," he scratched his head in mild annoyance. "Oh, whatever. Let's just get back to the original topic."
"Yeah," I decided to finally ask something meaningful, though in a different sense. "You said something about the Nahnanka Kingdom before. About those orcs. Do you know anything about kobolds instead? Anything about them would be helpful."
"Kobolds, huh...?"
Reis took his time to think.
"I only know up to the twelfth to thirteenth level. I heard that the Death Spots are now sent to reduce the number of volunteer soldiers trying to break further into their lair. That sounds like a real nuisance to me. You wanna know about them?"
"Yes," I answered without hesitation. "Tell me all about them."
***
In the guilds dedicated to the worship of Gods, such as the Paladins and Priests of Lumiaris the Light, and the Dread Knights of Skulheil the Darkness, placing your faith in these deities from the very beginning is deemed as a virtue.
However, I remained unfamiliar with the nature of these supposed Gods. What was certain was that they, or at least Lumiaris, appeared to be intelligent beings. Even with the vague possibility, Lumiaris might grant our appeals.
I recalled a Priest's skill called Prayer. If I were to become a priest and acquire that skill, I wouldn't hesitate to Pray to Lumiaris, hoping for some form of lead to its truth. This enigmatic figure held a profound fixation for me.
No one knew when exactly these two beings called Gods appeared and how. Why? It was out of the question.
Alterna is a small place, both in size and knowledge.
Many mysteries eluded even its long-term inhabitants, let alone newcomers like us.
"They're all just too arrogant to tell us," Reis remarked, clicking his tongue in disapproval. "Not that I'm the one to say. With the arrogance of the local populace, I wonder how inflated the egos of those ruling from Tenryu's ranges must be."
Even the history of the discovery of the Arabakia Kingdom was concealed, leaving one to wonder if there was something sinister behind the decision to keep it hidden.
"What, you wanna hear
It was, in essence, a tangled mess of a story.
They say that Arabakia was a paradise—a utopia.
A family sought refuge to enjoy its boundless pleasures. To be more precise, it was a couple named George and his unnamed wife, the latter of whom passed away shortly after their arrival in Arabakia.
Strangely, her grave eventually gave rise to what became known as the Kuaron Mountains.
George had three sons—Theodore, Ishmahr, and Nahnanka—and several daughters whose names had long been forgotten, lost to the annals of time. For a considerable period, they lived in the land as if living in a fairy tale, until they aware of the fact that they never aged.
"I can't recall exactly who voiced that doubt, but I do remember one of the three boys did. Speaking of which, there was this strange thing about incest between them and the girls. I'm not interested in that, mind you, it just struck me as peculiar when I first heard about it back then, alright? Seriously."
Nahnanka and Ishmahr embarked on separate journeys in search of answers, but, neither of them ever returned.
Their father, George, grew increasingly impatient and set out to find them, but he found himself unable to leave Arabakia. It was as if he were ensnared by some unseen roots. Like his wife before him, he eventually died and transformed into a colossal tree.
After this tragic incident, Theodore decided to leave his home, leaving his sisters behind.
He was pursued relentlessly by a mysterious white mist for days on end until he stumbled upon a picturesque lakeside, surrounded by the Rinstorm, Dioze, and Kurogane Mountains. Its breathtaking beauty captivated Theodore in an instant, and he even mulled establishing a kingdom amid this enchanting scenery.
Theodore beckoned to those who desired to follow him, and from all corners, they came. He conducted a ritual by bestowing a forehead kiss upon them, signifying them as his devoted followers.
This all occurred in Year 0 Arabakia, over six centuries ago.
"That's just a myth, huh...?" I muttered after hearing the story, somewhat disappointed.
"Yeah, I figured you would be like this."
While some seeds of truth existed among the stories, in general, I couldn't take away anything meaningful from them.
"Next time you might get lucky," Reis shrugged.
"You're probably right."
///|||\\\
"Ah, you wished to have a conversation with me?"
That night, at Sherry Tavern, I sought out Shinohara from Clan Orion regarding Merry.
He certainly didn't seem to mind engaging in a conversation with me.
"Yes, if you're willing to. Was Merry always like this when she was with Orion?"
"It would be better if Hayashi were here," he replied, sounding slightly inconvenienced. "But he's currently on an errand at Mt. Grief."
"Where is it?" I inquired.
"It's in the Quickwind Plains, just a little over an hour's walk from Deadhead Watching Keep. From there, you can see the castle atop. It's known as the den of the dead."
"Undead..."
I couldn't help but wonder about his purpose for heading to Mt. Grief.
Would I be given a chance to?
"Regarding Merry," Shinohara began, and I listened attentively. "I must admit, I'm surprised that she agreed to accompany your group to the Cyrene Mines. Her former party met their end at the hands of the Death Spots there, see. Only Hayashi and her survived."
"It seems like Hayashi's presence didn't make much of a difference in this case, huh?" I commented with a slight frown.
I glanced around, observing the Orion members engaged in friendly conversations. Most of them exuded the same warmth and camaraderie as Shinohara. They seemed different from the majority of volunteer soldiers, who often displayed ignorance and crudeness.
"There's one thing..." I began hesitantly. "Or maybe it's nothing."
"You don't need to worry," Shinohara reassured me with a smile.
I shook my head. "I just forgot my question."
"I see. There's no need to force it, then," he replied, understanding. "If you ever need anything, feel free to reach out. I'll assist in any way I can."
"I'll keep that in mind."
We both rose from our seats and exchanged waves before going our separate ways.
Once outside the tavern, I took a detour on my way back to the inn.
Did I handle the situation well? I found myself pondering.
My inability to convey emotions through facial expressions was a significant flaw. Nevertheless, I wasn't entirely inept at using it to my advantage. With skillful execution, even my lack of expression could deceive the most discerning individuals.
Shinohara was an imposter, but that didn't mean I needed to pay him undue attention. He was merely one of the unique types among the volunteer soldiers.
Through his acting, he had managed to assemble a group of individuals who served as his arms and legs. I had to admit, it was one way to thrive in the world of volunteer soldiers. It was, in fact, what I was striving to accomplish at this very moment.
However, it didn't mean he was entirely without potential threats.
I needed to create an impression that conveyed my independence from him in the long run. It would be troublesome if I stood out too much among the volunteer soldiers, especially this early.
Frankly, I had no desire to cross paths with him at all.
Merely making eye contact with him would likely arouse suspicion instantly.
He was probably harboring doubts at this very moment. Nevertheless, as long as my actions remained concealed, he would soon forget about me.
"I'm back," I said as I removed my slippers by the doorway.
It was a habit Sasha had encouraged me to adopt, which I complied with, for logical reasons.
"Welcome home," Merry greeted with a smile from the living room sofa.
She was dressed casually in blue and white attire, with a skirt that fell just below her knees.
"When did you return?" I raised an eyebrow.
I approached the sofa, and she made room for me.
"Not long ago. You?"
"Just this afternoon," I replied with a shrug. "You've learned Dispel, haven't you?"
"...Yes," Merry replied, lowering her head.
An awkward silence hung between us.
Neither of us was particularly skilled at conversation, especially me.
"Did you go to the Sherry Tavern to look for Shinohara-san?" she asked suddenly.
"Yes," I answered without hesitation.
She bit her lip, released it, then sighed.
"You heard it, then, huh?"
"I did."
There was no point in denying it.
"I..." She lifted her head. "...want to settle my past. To tie up some loose ends before pushing onward."
"And you think we're a good choice for that?"
She didn't respond.
For those who had perished, and whose bodies had not been properly laid to rest for a certain period, the Undying King's curse would bring them back as mindless undead.
Considering the Death Spots they had encountered, it was safe to assume that they hadn't had the time to give their fallen comrades a proper burial in Alterna. Moreover, Merry was practicing Dispel, a skill seemingly unrelated to our current foes, the kobolds.
However, Merry appeared to have thought this through carefully.
She wouldn't learned such a skill without a valid reason, after all.
"Yes," she looked at me. "I thought I'd want you all to be my companions while I do this."
I let out a breath, staring her back into the eyes. "I'm glad you finally opened up... Of course, we'll gladly accompany you to your destination."
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
YvisEV
YvisEV This is actually bad, lol.
I seem to have lost on what to do.
The End of Volume 1 is probably much sooner than I'd planned.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone