Episode 47
"A noble? What kind?"
His tone held curiosity, but that was all.
It was Ash who was bewildered by Loki’s brief yet detached tone. He had thought that revealing himself as a noble would make the other party at least somewhat polite, but that was not the case at all.
*Does he not believe me?*
Ash assessed his condition. Though stained with blood and dirt, he was wearing attire that looked luxurious at a glance. To any passerby, it was evidence that he was one hundred percent of noble lineage.
*Could it be that he knows my body isn’t whole?* He lost both legs to the Wight, so he must be looking down on me! *Hmph! How dare someone of low status… eh?*
Ash was examining his body when he suddenly froze.
*My legs… they’re here?*
The legs that had clearly been torn off were perfectly intact.
*…Then! What about my body?*
Ash fumbled over himself. He especially touched his stomach. It was where he had suffered a fatal wound, one nearly impossible to recover from even with holy water or advanced healing magic. That wound had now disappeared without even leaving a scar.
"What in the world…?"
"I asked what kind of noble you are."
At Loki’s question, Ash wore a dazed expression.
"A dream? Is this a dream? But such a vivid dream… then that pain I felt was…?"
"……."
Loki, whose question had been ignored, let out a small sigh.
"Is it because of the wounds?"
"…Did you heal me? You… are you a mage? But how could severed legs and a perforated stomach be…?"
Ash gasped at the unbelievable miracle.
Loki looked at him, then pointed his finger up at the trees to put off something bothersome.
"…?"
Ash followed his hand and saw a girl. A girl sitting on a branch atop a tree, swinging her legs and looking down with a curious expression. She had impressive brown skin, crimson eyes, and silver hair falling through the gaps in her hood. Ash wondered about the luxurious clothing she wore.
*A young lady from a noble house? I see. I’ve heard that Nordins wear the skins of beasts.* To him, they looked like a noble young lady and a Nordin hired as a guard. Then where were the other members of their party? Ash looked around, but there was no one.
*A runaway noble lady?* The moment he thought that, a voice completely erased that guess.
"Elven medicine possesses considerable potency. Your wounds were treated with it."
It was Sallot who was flustered by Loki’s words. Elven medicine was excellent, but compared to potions or healing magic, its effects were very minor. Yet treating injuries that couldn’t be healed by any potion on the continent or by healing magic with elven medicine? Such things only happened in legends or fairy tales.
"…An elf?"
Ash looked again at the Dark Elf, Sallot. Through the gaps in her hood, long ears were visible.
"Truly… an elf."
Even for him, it was the first time seeing an elf. She was that foreign and mysterious a being. But no matter how mysterious, was such a thing truly possible?
"Did that heretic save me…?"
Ash, who had asked to confirm, shut his mouth. Loki was emitting a faint killing intent toward him.
"Calling your savior a heretic… you have no manners."
"……."
"Well, it doesn’t matter. I saved you to hear your story."
*Story?* Surely he didn’t mean he had saved him just to hear a story?
Loki looked at the stunned Ash and opened his mouth.
"Do you know of the Angel of Death?"
***
Loki had been picking out only places said to be plagued by pestilence and searching them. With insufficient information, he had no choice but to scour them on foot. In such a situation, he met a blond young man who seemed to know of the Angel of Death.
Loki, waiting for an answer, looked at Ash. Ash looked at Loki with a hesitant expression.
"Tell me what you know. Exactly as you know it."
In the pressuring atmosphere, Ash spoke to Loki in a displeased, demanding tone.
"…Your words are short. I may be a fallen noble, but I am still of noble blood. Therefore, show some mann—"
"…Your words are short."
Ash’s words were cut off by Loki’s brief reply. No, to be precise, they were cut off by the flash of light that swept past right beside him. Light too fast to even perceive passed by, and immediately after, a shockwave struck Ash’s skin. Several strands of Ash’s hair were cut and scattered.
Ash turned his stiff, creaking head with difficulty to look behind him. Trees split to the left and right had fallen. When he turned back to Loki, Loki was repeatedly clenching and unclenching his hand.
*…A divine artifact user?!* He had simply swung his hand, yet he cut through trees?! He was a master of tremendous power. Only then did Ash recall that before he lost consciousness, the Wight had been torn to pieces.
"Whether it’s noble blood or whatever, it doesn’t matter. We are the ‘heretics’ you spoke of."
Loki glared at Ash with a deep smile.
"……."
Ash swallowed dryly. He couldn’t meet Loki’s eyes behind the crow mask, but the atmosphere alone bore a dignity that felt like lacerating his entire body, making him flinch unconsciously. All the royal studies he had learned were meaningless. Ash had only ever dealt with nobles who respected his status. For the first time, facing a threat to his life from a crow-masked man without the barrier of status, his mind naturally went blank like a white sheet of paper.
Ash struggled to maintain his composure as much as possible and opened his mouth.
"I don’t know about the Angel of Death either."
He hadn’t even known what it was to begin with. He had never had any chance of encountering the kind of rumors commoners bandied about in taverns.
Loki had hoped for the unlikely, but at the expected result, he sighed and shook his head.
"…It was a useless deed. I only wasted a precious potion."
"……."
At this unprecedented treatment, Ash forgot what to say. It was a tone as if rank didn’t matter at all.
*Wait, this guy… he was a Nordin, wasn’t he?* To them, there were only employers and employees; they didn’t care about high or low status. That was why nobles hated Nordins. However, they held trust in higher regard than any other mercenary. Despite being barbarians, they did not betray first out of their own pride, as long as the employer did not betray them first. Recalling that, Ash thought deeply. There was no way these people would understand even if he explained the status system for days on end.
Ash gauged Loki’s mood. Loki seemed hungry for an answer, so Ash decided to speak what he knew.
"I don’t know about the Angel of Death. But…"
"…?"
"There are those on the continent who possess the most outstanding information. They would know."
"…What do you mean?"
"Have you heard of the Underworld?"
Loki smiled and stroked his chin. He had heard of it from Paul. An organization spread throughout the continent whose information network was incomparably outstanding. Paul and his group had said they couldn’t find that organization, yet did the young man before him know of it?
"Do you know about that organization?"
"I do. And until not long ago, I was negotiating with them. If you wish, I can arrange a meeting."
As it happened, Ash also needed this Nordin’s power. With a divine artifact user as an escort, there would be nothing to fear, and since he was a Nordin, he would be far more trustworthy than Ronian mercenaries. Ash lowered his head. For now, he could not afford to get on his bad side.
"First, I am grateful that you saved me."
The other party might not know, but for a royal to lower his head carried tremendous meaning.
"I will bridge the connection between you and them. In exchange, protect me. I will also provide compensation befitting that."
It was an offer to hire Loki as a mercenary.
"Guide me only as far as the Roden territory."
Loki thought for a moment. The condescending tone still grated on him, but considering Ash was a noble, he decided not to mind. Compensation was, after all, unnecessary for him in terms of monetary reward. However, his opponent was offering a connection to the continent’s information organization. That was quite appealing.
"Then I shall accompany you for a while."
Hope filled Ash’s eyes at Loki’s words.
"I thank you! But…"
Ash wore a dazed expression. A combination of a Nordin and an elf. It was truly an ill-fitting companionship. With himself added to the mix, it couldn’t help but be bizarre.
"But who are you? Mercenaries…? Or travelers?"
"We…? We are…"
Loki was about to speak but flinched at the word *we* and glanced at Sallot in the tree.
*Since when did I start using the word we…?*
Loki smacked his lips and spat out the word he had been thinking of.
"Herbalists."
***
Half a day had passed since meeting Ash.
"Nnngh~!"
Sallot woke and rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand. When she was in the forest, she had worried about when she might be attacked; when she was a slave, she had trembled in fear of what terrible things might be done to her. Now she was deeply moved by the present, where she could sleep soundly. And all of this was possible thanks to *him.*
*…Since when did I start relying on him like this?* She could leave him whenever she wanted. No, he had never confined her in the first place. Even if she left without a word, he would simply accept it. The problem was that she was the one who wanted to stay by his side and had grown curious.
*Those strange potions of his, that strange power of his… what in the world is his true identity?* Being someone of great curiosity, she wanted to know. Without realizing it, she was gradually forgetting about revenge.
With hazy eyes, she let out a long yawn, then suddenly realized Loki was not around her. Startled, she hurriedly raised her upper body. As she was looking around with the thought *Could it be?!*, a voice from beside her stopped her.
—…Don’t worry. He is nearby.
"……."
Sallot looked at Ifrit, who had been summoned before she knew it. He was taking form atop the flames burning in the campfire.
"Where is he?"
—The forest over there.
Ifrit pointed into the forest with his finger, and Sallot tried to walk toward it without hesitation.
"…Where are you going?"
Ash spoke to her as he looked at her. His attire was still the torn uniform stained with blood. Though his body had recovered completely without a single wound, his eyes looked haggard, perhaps from accumulated mental fatigue.
Sallot looked at him for a moment, then tried to move her feet, ignoring him. She was someone who didn’t want to exchange words with mere humans. Among humans, Alex was the only one who had left a good impression, but she had no intention of returning to the monastery, so she thought that would be the last of it.
"W-wait—! Wait. That Nordin is also nowh—"
But that thought was also brief….
"Ugh—!"
At the groan, Sallot turned her head. Ash had moved hastily and burned his hand on embers that had jumped from the campfire.
*This is why sheltered noble brats….*
Sallot looked at him as if he were pitiful and tried to ignore him, but seemingly bothered, she changed her steps. She approached him and held out her hand.
"Give me your hand."
"……."
When Ash held out his hand, Sallot took out her medicine bag, applied medicine to him, and wrapped leaves around it.
"Th-thank you."
Ash blushed.
"Stay still."
"Wh-where were you trying to go?"
"I’m just going to find him."
"…Do you know where he is?"
"He often wanders off."
"I-I see."
Ash fidgeted. He looked anxious, like a lost child. Seeing such an Ash, Sallot felt sympathy. It was as if she were looking at her old self.
"There is something I want to ask."
"What is it?"
"That… Nordin. What kind of person is he?"
"…Nordin?"
Sallot tilted her head. She had no idea what a Nordin was.
*Come to think of it, that monk also called him ‘Nordin’….*
Now that she thought about it, Sallot didn’t even know his *name.* They had traveled together, but they weren’t the type to talk often. Even counting the words exchanged since meeting Alex, there wouldn’t be ten sentences. She realized anew that she knew nothing about Loki and worried about how to answer Ash.
Ash tilted his head as he looked at her, at a loss for words.
Toward Ash, who was waiting for an answer, Sallot opened her mouth.
"Just… as he said, an herbalist."
"An herbalist? Of course, that’s what he said, but… judging by his skill alone, he is far too talented to live as an ordinary herbalist. Then, does he want something? Other than connecting with the Underworld, perhaps wealth?"
Ash was royalty. Though the situation was what it was now, if things were resolved later, he would have to give a reward, which was why he had asked.
"I-I don’t know."
Sallot gradually grew timid. Each time a question came, she couldn’t open her mouth.
"Is that so? Then…"
And at Ash’s next question—
"What is his name?"
Sallot was at a loss for words.