At the man in the splendid clothes’ introduction, none of us could open our mouths.
What do we do?
Why are you looking at me? You try.
After glancing at one another and conversing without words, Drek finally stepped forward.
“We’re a wandering mercenary band.”
“Oh-ho. To think I’d be fortunate enough to meet a mercenary band. It seems the gods have aided me.”
“Yeah, quite fortunate indeed.”
“…Might you have something to prove that? I know it is rude to ask my benefactors, but with bandits running rampant these days…”
“Ahem.”
Drek gave an overt cough to show his displeasure, but perhaps because of our shabby clothing, the suspicion in the man’s eyes did not easily fade.
“Due to circumstances, we don’t have our mercenary tags. Instead…”
Drek suddenly took off his upper garment.
Dardan seemed startled by the strip show that had abruptly begun, but—
“That tattoo… surely not.”
He seemed surprised for a different reason than we were.
Seeing the tattoo engraved on Drek’s left arm, he could not close his mouth.
What was engraved there was the head of a one-eyed dragon.
“The Drake Mercenary Corps!?”
Whether it was the mark of a famous mercenary band or not, the merchant recognized it immediately.
“I heard it was disbanded after the captain died. May I ask your name?”
“I am… Khan.”
When Drek suddenly gave a different name, we were momentarily flustered.
Khan?
I had never heard Drek’s real name, but I could at least be certain that he had never been called “Khan” before.
“Khan… If you are Khan, could you be that Khan?”
Dardan narrowed his eyes and examined Drek closely.
“That’s right.”
Drek said it with an unruffled face. Dardan studied his face for a while, then cautiously nodded.
“I heard that a few members of the Drake Mercenary Corps remained… To think you were alive like this. I apologize for my rudeness.”
I could not tell whether Drek had given the name “Khan” as a lie, or whether it was truly a name from his past. But Dardan seemed to accept it to some extent.
I glanced at Drek. Why had he chosen the name “Khan,” of all names? Was it related to his past?
But now was not the time to press him. We needed to gain trust, and Dardan did not seem to have completely let go of his suspicions either.
“Very well. You did help me, and if you are from an old mercenary band, then I suppose I can trust you.”
“I’m glad you do.”
Drek replied indifferently.
“Would you perhaps accompany me to the village? In a situation like this, going alone seems far too dangerous.”
At Dardan’s request, we exchanged glances. We had to go to the village anyway.
On top of that, with this opportunity, we might be able to enter the village more naturally.
Drek slowly nodded.
“Fine. We happen to be headed the same way.”
And so, we decided to head to the village together with Dardan’s merchant caravan.
***
Unfortunately, because the horse that had been pulling the wagon had died, we had to walk, but the sight of the village right ahead of us filled my body with strength.
Behind us, the two mercenaries Dardan had hired were groaning as they carried the cargo that had been loaded onto the wagon.
The mercenary most severely injured in the earlier battle seemed to be their leader, and instead of carrying the luggage, he stayed by his employer’s side.
Well, it wouldn’t make sense for him to carry luggage in that state anyway.
We were able to walk beside Dardan, chatting.
After all we’d done for him, we weren’t exactly in a position to carry the luggage.
“Where are you coming from?”
“We are coming from Lambain. I heard Lambain’s perfumed oils were excellent, you see.”
“…I see.”
“Have you ever tried the mead from Drington? I had occasion to go there long ago and tasted it, and the aroma of their mead is truly—”
“Drington mead!? You, sir, know your liquor!”
With Valdik joining the conversation as well, the atmosphere gradually began to flow more naturally.
As we walked along the roadside for a while, Drek gave us a look as if telling us to follow him.
We were able to step away on the pretext of relieving ourselves.
When we followed Drek, he spoke in a heavy voice.
“They noticed on that side. We’ll have to silence them.”
“What? Don’t tell me…”
“…He clearly said he came from Lambain, but as far as I know, Lambain doesn’t make perfumed oil.”
“What?”
“And the place famous for making perfumed oil is definitely ‘Karhal.’”
“Damn it. No, wait, he could have been mistaken, right? Couldn’t he?”
Karhal. That was definitely the village near the dungeon where we had been captured.
If it was around there, it would not be strange for news of our escape to have already spread.
“Yeah, it could be a mistake. But when we were talking about the mercenary corps earlier, he clearly seemed to recognize my face.”
“Damn it all! What do we do?”
At this point, denying it would have been the strange thing. That meant it was time to come up with a solution.
I wondered what Drek meant by silencing them.
“How do we silence them? We don’t have anything.”
“Silence them? Why would we have nothing?”
He said this as he drew the dagger tucked at his waist.
Ah. I had forgotten, but this was not modern society. It seemed there was a kind of law closer at hand than the actual law.
Right now, that law was merely a short dagger.
“You’re saying we should kill them all? If we kill those people, won’t we be unable to enter the city?”
As I asked, unable to hide the trembling in my heart, unused as I was to murder, Drek said,
“We have no choice but to disguise ourselves as them. I don’t want to kill innocent people if I can help it either, but… if they came from Karhal, then it’s only a matter of time before word of us reaches this village as well. It can’t be helped.”
“Yeah, Drek’s right. We have to attack first.”
“But…”
I could no longer make excuses, and simply decided to follow their opinion.
As someone thrown into another world all alone, I had no choice but to comply in order to survive.
After that grim meeting ended, we returned to the merchant.
“Please spare me. I will not say a word.”
Dardan was quicker on the uptake than expected. As if he had already grasped the situation, he was flat on the ground, begging for forgiveness.
His mercenaries had, at some point, retreated behind him. I did not know how much he had realized, but his actions were filled with desperation.
It was far too late for him to insist he knew nothing.
“…How are we supposed to trust you?”
At those words, Dardan suppressed his trembling body and knelt.
His gaze was firm, but anxiety seeped through his rough breathing.
“Please spare me. Please, I will not say anything. Nothing at all!”
His voice trembled, conveying his desperation in full.
But because we had no way of knowing what scheme he might be plotting, we did not lower our guard.
Drek glanced at him, then slowly slid the dagger he had drawn back into his waist.
“Words are easy. But how can we trust you?”
“Please believe me! Truly, I know nothing. I merely came this far as the person in charge of the caravan. If there is anything I can do to help you, I will do it!”
Dardan bowed his head deeply and pleaded desperately.
His earnest attitude and shaking voice gradually began to change the atmosphere.
“Do you perhaps… have some information from your caravan that must not become known?”
Drek asked cautiously.
“In this situation, shouldn’t we have some grounds to trust you?”
Dardan hesitated for a moment, then carefully opened his mouth.
“In truth, there is important information my caravan has obtained. And that information… will be helpful to you as well.”
“Information?”
Drek’s eyes gleamed sharply.
“What sort of information?”
After swallowing once, Dardan spoke in a low voice.
“Go to the village of Garnian across the river. There… there is a relic that can change your life if you obtain it even once.”
“Garnian Village?”
We glanced at one another.
It was a place I had never heard of.
“What is there?”
Wariness colored Drek’s voice.
“There are ancient ruins there. And within those ruins… an artifact known as the ‘Stone of Resurrection’ may be hidden.”
“The Stone of Resurrection?”
Drek’s expression subtly changed.
“What is that?”
“The Stone of Resurrection is… a mysterious artifact passed down from long ago. According to legend, if one uses it, it can bring the dead back to life.”
“…The dead?”
In that instant, the atmosphere froze.
“Of course, it may be nothing more than a rumor. And… they say that its power necessarily comes with a fatal price.”
“A price?”
Drek narrowed his eyes.
“No one knows the exact details. However, they say there is a high possibility that the artifact truly exists. This is information I obtained directly from the information guild.”
“The information guild, huh…”
Drek crossed his arms and fell into thought for a moment.
“If what you say is true, then that relic might exist. But what does that have to do with keeping you alive?”
Dardan gave a bitter smile and nodded.
“As you know, leaking information obtained from the information guild without permission is strictly forbidden. If this spreads, I too will lose my life at the guild’s hands.”
“…Hmm.”
Drek let out a short hum.
In other words, now that Dardan had let this information slip, he was in the same boat as us.
“Please, this is all the information I know.”
Dardan begged desperately, bowing his head deeply.
“…Fine. I’ll believe you.”
At last, Drek nodded.
“When we enter the village, you’ll vouch for us.”
“Of course! I will personally vouch for you!”
And so, we set out again.
Because I could not fully believe everything Dardan said, I worried that the mercenaries following behind might attack us.
His attitude certainly seemed desperate, but there was no way to know whether the information about the relic was truly real, or whether he had some scheme to lure us in.
“…You are Mr. Drake, aren’t you?”
Among our quiet group, Dardan suddenly spoke.
His manner was so natural that it was hard to believe he had been begging for his life just moments ago.
‘I guess you need that much nerve to do business.’
But at that question, Drek’s face hardened, and he answered curtly.
“No. I’m Drek. Drake is… dead.”
“Ah, I understand.”
Dardan immediately closed his mouth, but a question remained on his face.
Drake? The mercenary corps was called the Drake Mercenary Corps, so could it be… was he the commander?
But hadn’t he called himself “Khan” earlier? What was that, then?
I could have asked Drek directly, but the atmosphere was not good right now.
I knew little about this other world to begin with, and carelessly prying might be rude.
As I walked while thinking that, the village had appeared before us before I knew it.
The outskirts of the city were far more imposing than they had looked from a distance.
The village, built solidly like a fortress wall, looked impressive not only in appearance; even the soldiers seemed well trained.
As we drew near, a soldier holding a spear stepped forward.
“Halt. What business brings you here?”
A tense atmosphere instantly spread.
Considering that we were fugitives, if this was a place where inspections had been strengthened, we could be arrested on the spot.
But then, Dardan stepped forward.
“It has been a while. I am the representative of the Dardan Caravan. I have come to sell a few goods.”
As he said this, Dardan handed a piece of paper to the soldier. Was it some kind of permit?
The soldier checked the paper, then immediately softened his attitude.
“The Dardan Caravan? There is indeed a record of you visiting before. But who are these people?”
“Yes, these are my hired men. I recruited some new companions.”
“Hmm…”
The soldier looked us over once, then nodded.
“Fine. Pass.”
And so, we were able to enter the village safely.
***
The inside of the city was far more bustling than it looked from outside.
Markets had opened here and there, and merchants were each raising their voices to sell their goods.
“Welcome! Fresh fruit here!”
“Fish caught today! Fresh fish!”
Was it because a river flowed behind the fortress? The fishy smell was overwhelming.
As we passed through the crowded market, we were met with a lively scene, but I was in no mood to sightsee right now.
“Let’s go to an inn. We need somewhere to rest for now.”
When Drek said this, Dardan brightened and nodded.
“Very well! There is an inn I frequent. Let us go there.”
The place we arrived at by following Dardan was a building with a wooden signboard hanging out front, painted with a blue moon.
From the outside, it was clean and neat, and even the clothes of the people passing by were relatively tidy.
“It should be safe enough here.”
As soon as the door opened, the warm scent of food brushed the tip of my nose, and lively laughter from inside greeted us.
Dardan went straight to the owner and spoke with him, while we quietly watched him secure a room.
Naturally, since we had no money, Dardan had no choice but to take care of everything.
A short while later, we were given a narrow but tidy room.
It was far better than the shabby thatched hut we had stayed in before.
‘We finally… made it inside.’
My body was heavy, but my mind was still tangled.
Would we really be safe in this village now? Could Dardan be trusted?
And… why had Drek denied the name “Drake”?
All sorts of thoughts circled in my head, but soon exhaustion put every question to sleep.
My consciousness gradually blurred, sinking into deep darkness.
***
[You have reached a milestone. Please choose a perk.]
A familiar voice rang in my ear.
So I came here again.
A space drenched entirely in darkness. It was definitely the same place where I had obtained “Condensation.”
It seemed “sleep” was the trigger.
But when I dozed off briefly before fighting the goblins, I hadn’t come here.
Then that meant simply falling asleep wasn’t enough.
Judging from this game-like system, it was clear I had to meet certain conditions.
It would have been nice if it were some cheat ability where I got stronger just by sleeping, but reality wasn’t that easy.
‘Well, I’ll find out the next time I fall asleep.’
This time as well, three cards appeared before my eyes.
────────────
[Increase Maximum Strength]
[Increase Maximum Stamina]
[Blue Magic: Waterflow Shield]
────────────
The cards that appeared this time were white, green, and green, in that order.
Given the circumstances, they were probably common, uncommon, and uncommon ranks.
I felt good that two green cards had appeared today.
But then it suddenly occurred to me that I had no idea what the appearance rates of these cards were.
‘There’s no way to know whether this is a fixed probability or if it changes depending on certain conditions.’
Swallowing a sigh, I examined the cards one by one.
[Increase Maximum Strength]?
Why was something like this in a mage skill tree? The description was simple too.
[Your maximum strength increases slightly.]
It was an oddly tempting choice, but there was no reason to pick a white card when there were two green ones.
Next was [Increase Maximum Stamina].
This one was green, but in the end, it wasn’t much different from [Increase Strength].
Survival was important in order to use magic, but what I needed more was magic itself.
And the final card.
[Blue Magic: Waterflow Shield]
The moment I saw it, I wanted to choose it.
Looking at the description—
[Consumes mana to create a shield of water that blocks a certain amount of damage.]
It was none other than a mage’s representative survival skill: a “barrier.”
‘This is it!’
At that moment, I recalled myself from yesterday, when I had basically been a drinking-water shuttle, and felt proud.
Now I could defend myself too!
…But.
‘I still don’t have any means of attacking, do I?’
Still, getting a shield was huge. Yeah, it would definitely help…
I could picture myself trying to convince myself of that in my head.
Well, what could I do? There weren’t any other choices.
Letting out a small sigh, I picked up the [Blue Magic: Waterflow Shield] card.
Watching the card seep into me, I gradually lost consciousness.
***
As soon as I opened my eyes, I sat on the edge of the bed and immediately tried casting “Waterflow Shield.”
I had expected a massive barrier that wrapped around my whole body… but reality was miserable.
What appeared above the back of my hand was a water shield barely the size of a fist.
Of course, it did have the advantage that my hand remained free even while carrying the shield.
“……”
Wasn’t this no different from a swordsman holding a shield?
The only fortunate thing was that, after I struck it with a dagger a few times, the shield’s protective performance seemed fairly decent.
But there was a problem.
‘The mana consumption on this thing is no joke, is it?’
Even making a shield just large enough to cover the back of my hand evaporated a third of my mana.
This… wasn’t usable at all.
With a sigh, I opened my waterskin to take a drink, and at that moment, the shield reacted with a whoosh.
“Huh?”
The water inside the waterskin was sucked into the shield as if drawn by a magnet.
Then the shield grew slightly larger.
‘…No way.’
Just in case, I dispelled the shield and cast it again.
The water that had spilled out when I dispelled it rose into the air and formed the shield.
On top of that, the amount of mana consumed had noticeably decreased.
“It’s real?!”
There was no doubt about it.
If there was water, the amount of mana consumed decreased.
However, I had to condense the water in advance before creating the shield.
In other words, if I used water as a material, I could reduce mana consumption, but if there was no water, the burden was still heavy.
‘Does this mean I’m supposed to fight somewhere with water…?’
The good thing was that, in theory, as long as I had enough water, I could keep the shield maintained.
The bad thing was that I would have to always carry water around with me.
It was a more cumbersome system than I’d expected.
Now it was clear.
For my next perk, I absolutely had to choose [Increase Maximum Mana].