Chapter 127
"I see."
Philo the Tail-Cutter.
'There was such a person.'
Originally, there were many clans that served the Spear.
However, only the current Empire and the Dragon People survived.
They are indeed descendants of dragons, but their blood was thin, so they were called Lizardmen.
They met their destruction at the hands of the Empire, which carried out a plan to exterminate other races.
The Empire had used their power, saying they were fellow spear-servers, but in the end, they betrayed and killed them.
This was because a strange doctrine emerged that did not consider other races as human.
The disconnect between humans and Dragon People had always been troubled from the start.
'Come to think of it, this is the current timeframe.'
The extermination of the Dragon People.
Having expended much power dealing with Carpe and taken significant damage, they subjugated those who had been a nuisance from before to solidify their foundation.
It wasn't particularly special content.
"Even if that guy is completely useless, his skill with the spear is top-notch. He's quite a waste to just let die. Besides... we've been through a lot together."
That was what Aldu said.
Lend me your power so that he can be saved.
That was what he wanted from me.
However.
"Why should I do that?"
That doesn't become a reason for me to help. Philo the Tail-Cutter.
Of course, if he were saved, there's room for him to grow into a quite decent figure.
Even if I don't know his disposition, I do know his skills.
However.
'He's a spearman.'
In the end, one who serves Lactus.
Of course, that's just a superficial reason, and I don't really know.
He's originally a character who dies.
Philo Matur's potential if he had lived?
I don't really know.
Not knowing means I can't be certain.
Of course, if I helped, I could form a friendship with them, but I didn't want to invite danger unnecessarily.
The opponent of the Dragon People would probably be the Empire.
It's highly likely to be an Imperial Prince or Princess, and most likely the Princess.
'Nothing good comes from getting involved with the Princess.'
Because there's absolutely nothing good about catching the eye of the Princess, who has an excessively violent disposition even within the Empire.
If she were to see my black hair and Jaian, she would immediately recognize my identity.
I don't want to walk a thorny path for no reason.
"Of course, I'm not asking you to help without any conditions."
Aldu looked at Serena, then nodded and took something out from inside his clothes and placed it on the table.
A small box.
I gestured, asking what it was.
I surveyed the surroundings.
It seems I'm scary, as there was no one else in the tavern happily drinking.
We were the only customers.
Serena, newly realizing this, slightly opened the box.
"...This is?"
"A Spirit Stone."
I, who was about to grab the wine glass, momentarily stopped my movement.
Spirit Stone.
I didn't expect this to come up.
'You surprise me in many ways.'
There are fairies in this world.
The abilities of fairies are diverse.
They are beings bound by contracts, living through contracts.
They assimilate with nature but live for their contractors, possessing the unique ability to grow stronger each time they fulfill a promise.
'There's one in Zerban too.'
Thinking of Zerban's butler, Nohitel, makes it easy to understand.
A lifespan several times that of humans.
Moreover, their spiritual power that commands the forces of nature is absolutely not something to be taken lightly.
That's why when I was in the North.
While provoking Nohitel, I never crossed the line.
'A contract with a fairy is a product of chance.'
Even meeting them is difficult, and forming a contract is even rarer.
But there's just one thing.
What makes it possible is precisely.
'Spirit Stone.'
The existence of the Spirit Stone.
Even in the Elven forests, which are relatively familiar with fairies, Spirit Stones are not commonly found, yet they're offering this.
Even Helena, if she saw this Spirit Stone, would have wanted it even if she had to give up several merchant guilds.
That's how powerful fairies are, and they're beings who willingly subject themselves to labor bound by contracts.
"Surely you know the value of the Spirit Stone."
"Of course. I don't not know."
But offering a Spirit Stone for just this much work was rather suspicious.
It's too big.
If you were to weigh Philo's value against the Spirit Stone's value, a hundred times out of a hundred, a thousand times out of a thousand, ten thousand times out of ten thousand, the latter would win.
So I honestly asked.
"Rather, I can't help but be suspicious. Is this person Philo worth offering a Spirit Stone, which could be exchanged for Imperial territory?"
At that, Serena's voice grew somewhat cold.
"Do you only see people in terms of value?"
A bit of contempt seeped into her voice.
An elf talking about human virtue.
I was a bit dumbfounded.
'Was she always this kind of personality?'
In this world, elves are strong.
Superior lifespan and physical abilities compared to humans.
Through the advantage of distance that bows provide, they are a race that has established their own domain.
Thus, most elves are haughty.
They have such an exclusive disposition that it's easy to understand if you consider them as beings immersed in racial supremacy.
'For such an elf to say such things.'
I was a bit dumbfounded, but that's probably what makes someone who comes to be called a hero.
Honestly, I don't know these people well.
Because they aren't ones I created with my own hands.
So I was also a bit curious.
'Serena and Aldu are unfinished.'
Still pilgrims.
Even if they become heroes in the future, right now they're just pilgrims.
Therefore.
The conclusion of my thoughts leads to that.
If I kill them now, what kind of sword.
'What kind of sword would be born.'
I'm deeply curious.
"!"
The natural desire as a pilgrim, I briefly harbored it, but an immediate response came.
"What are you doing...!"
"Your killing intent is too dense, my friend."
Killing intent that rose without me realizing.
Serena jumped up, and Aldu's previously hospitable voice dropped low.
"...."
In Serena's hand, hidden within her robe, it was hard to see clearly. But judging by the revealed shape, it was definitely a bow, and Aldu was staring at Callius with sunken eyes.
A situation where they might leap at each other at any moment.
Silence continued, and eventually Callius stepped back first.
"My apologies. But if the price is a Spirit Stone, I can't help but be suspicious. I hope you understand my position."
I step back here.
Rather, such an appearance would draw out their trust.
"I wish you'd understand that while it's precious to us, a Spirit Stone isn't that great a price for Serena. And, it also means that helping our companion is that dangerous."
Aldu explained step by step with a somewhat softened voice.
Serena with her sharp eyes under the hood hadn't changed much though.
"I heard that the Imperial Princess and the Duchy's Princess will be subjugating the Dragon People."
The Imperial Princess and the Duchy's Princess.
Of all people, the two I least wanted to encounter were there together, so I was already put off.
However.
I immediately grabbed the Spirit Stone box.
"Oh ho."
Honestly, whatever ulterior motives they might have, if the compensation is a Spirit Stone, it doesn't matter.
"Serena, how to use the Spirit Stone."
"The way to use the Spirit Stone is to burn the stone in a forest where fairies might be hiding."
Then curious fairies will be drawn by the Spirit Stone's energy.
Intoxicated by the spirit energy and their vigilance weakened, you aim for that moment to form a contract—that's what it means.
'Nothing else.'
The information I know isn't much different.
But there's a missing story.
'Having a Spirit Stone doesn't guarantee you'll meet a fairy, and the same goes for forming a contract.'
It's merely a medium to summon fairies.
The contract is another matter.
A fairy's caprice is like a reed.
It's purely a matter of luck.
But.
'If it were someone else it would be different, but if I'm the one holding this, the story changes.'
A Spirit Stone as lovely as jade.
About the size of a pebble.
So I thought.
'Just the right size to swallow.'
* * *
Aldu and Serena.
Returning to their lodgings, they took off their hoods and revealed their faces as soon as the door closed.
A style with light-colored blonde hair tied in a topknot and ears twice as long as a human's.
Eyes like gold embedded in them were beautiful to the point of being otherworldly.
But Aldu's eyes looking at such an elf were merely indifferent.
"Aldu. Can we really trust him?"
Serena fired at Aldu as soon as she took off her hood.
She must be talking about Callius.
At her sharp demeanor, Aldu laughed heartily and stroked his beard.
"The suspicious appearance is rather better to see. It means he's been through a lot. The more such a fellow, the better their skills tend to be."
The greed and killing intent that briefly appeared.
That was real.
It would be proof that his skills were better than expected.
"I don't think so from what I saw."
But Serena denied it.
It seemed she didn't like it.
"What's the problem?"
"I'm asking whether it's right to hand over the Spirit Stone first to someone we can't trust."
Spirit Stone.
A treasure that even elves can't easily possess.
A mineral that only forms when luck follows in rare areas where spirit energy intersects.
She was asking whether it was right to give it to someone they met for the first time today.
They could just take it and run.
"We're the ones who need to show trust. He's someone we're going to get involved in our business."
"But the Spirit Stone is..."
"You don't consider it that precious either, do you? If it can save a comrade's life, isn't it being used valuably?"
The Spirit Stone is indeed precious.
But that didn't apply to Serena.
Because she already had two more Spirit Stones besides the one she gave to Callius.
But even so, the fact that the Spirit Stone was a precious object didn't change.
Rather, it would be better to sell it and hire skilled mercenaries.
Even the Mercenary King would covet a Spirit Stone and help them.
'But we don't have that kind of time.'
There's no time to spare.
"...Right. But I still can't trust him."
"That's something time will resolve. But from what I see, he's quite a decent fellow."
"The reason you think so?"
"You saw how Calis treated the gatekeeper too, didn't you?"
"Um..."
Anyone could have seen the whole story of the gatekeeper putting down 2 silver at the tavern.
The fact that he had deceived Callius.
"Killing him would have been fine. The justification was sufficient. A gatekeeper who scams pilgrims. Even if his wrist or tongue were cut off, he'd have nothing to say. But what happened instead?"
"He made him clean."
At most, he made him clean.
In other words.
"It means he's not an evil person."
He's not inherently a bad person, so put aside your worries for now, Serena.
Moreover.
"While gathering information, I heard there's been someone with a bounty placed on them recently."
"A bounty? From the Empire?"
"Yes. A princess or someone issued a bounty, saying he's a lecher who molests women. They say he's molested hundreds."
"Shameless bastard."
"That's probably Calis."
"What?!"
If that were true, why on earth would they be traveling with such a rogue.
No wonder his gaze was strange.
Was he looking at me like that?
Serena hugged her own body.
Goosebumps rose all over her body.
"Aldu! Are you telling me to use a honey trap now? You think that guy will fall for me and won't betray us? Is that what you want right now?!"
Serena raised her voice in misunderstanding.
Aldu frowned as if he'd seen some ridiculous sight.
"There's a limit to misunderstanding. How does your head work to think like that."
"You said he was a lecher! I'm an elf called the incarnation of beauty. There's no way a mere lecher would leave me alone!"
"I've heard some crazy things. Does it make sense that a pilgrim, neither from the Empire nor the Duchy, molested hundreds of women in just a week? And that's not where you should be focusing."
"Then...?"
Just now he was a lecher.
Then what should she focus on?
Serena couldn't understand.
"After the bounty was issued and soldiers surrounded him, he killed them all without lifting a finger. But do you know what's interesting?"
"What."
"They say he commands magic beasts."
"Magic beasts?"
He commanded magic beasts? Isn't that a story that can't be overlooked.
"Yes. It means he could be one who serves the Whip."
The God of the Whip, Auste!
"I heard they were already extinct."
"Gods don't easily disappear."
True enough.
They still didn't really know which god Callius served.
They originally assumed it was the Sword, but maybe not.
'Looking at the look in his eyes when he momentarily emitted killing intent, the probability of it being the Sword is high, but...'
Aldu shook his head as he recalled the stories of Valterus's pilgrims.
The only crazy ones who kill each other are the pilgrims of the Sword.
"Anyway, it means he's not from the Empire or the Duchy. Rather, he's being chased by them."
"But he's a lecher."
"No... don't worry about that. I could tell at a glance he had no interest in you."
"What!"
It was then.
Suddenly, Serena's long ears twitched and moved.
"An enemy?"
"No, that guy left his lodgings."
"He must be planning to try using the Spirit Stone. What, are you going to follow him?"
"You might think that, but I don't. He could be running away, so I'll go after him. You get some sleep, shorty."
"Hmph, do what you want."
Whether to trust or not is something she must decide for herself.
Aldu's words had some basis, but that alone wasn't enough for trust.
Tap, tap.
Leaping from the window and immediately springing up, Serena's movements were graceful, and not a single sound could be heard.
Running with her hood pulled up and ears perked, a man's figure soon appeared.
A white robe.
It was Calis.
Swish.
After confirming Calis's figure heading out of the village and into the forest, Serena carefully followed behind him.
And a moment later.
"...!"
Serena's golden eyes widened round, and her mouth fell wide open.