Chapter 6
Crackle, crackle.
Kallias's shadow moved along with the flickering flames.
For Kallias, who was camping in the forest that brightened the dark night, fire was a comfort that brought warmth.
Staring blankly at the fire, many thoughts would float to the surface and sink repeatedly, calming his mind.
The newly acquired famous sword.
Looking at Arsando, Kallias gazed with ashen eyes.
[Arsando]
Rank - Famous Sword
Imbued Soul - Arsando Mirine
- Main sword of Arsando Mirine
"......"
Thud.
With the sword stuck between tree roots, Kallias tilted his head back, leaned against a tree, and closed his eyes.
* * *
I was the one in charge of the overall story of [Pilgrim's Path].
But with the overwhelming workload, I grew increasingly exhausted and couldn't properly create the characteristics of each character.
Whenever that happened, I would sit on the rooftop bench of the company and call her.
"Author-nim. You need my help again, right?"
The woman with a smile like fresh sunlight was Yu Yeon-hwa from the design department. She handed me coffee with a beaming face and plopped down beside me.
"What is it this time? Oh, the worst of the ruffians, Kallias von Zervan! I know him. A colleague of mine did this character's design. He's really handsome, right?"
She spoke about the character I created as if talking to a living person.
"Kallias has to be a ruffian. But he should also have the elegance of a noble. It would be nice if he's different when he's a pilgrim and when he returns to his family."
I nodded and wrote down Kallias as Yu Yeon-hwa described.
She closed her eyes, tapped her lips with her index finger, and fluttered her eyes.
It's always a strange behavior.
But I knew.
Whenever she did that, the sloppy-looking character would be given a firm characteristic.
Kallias von Zervan.
The eldest son of a swordsmanship family, but a ruffian with no talent for swordsmanship whatsoever.
However, his appearance inherited from the Zervan blood had no equal in the Karpe Kingdom. But whether by god's prank, his destiny became a series of misfortunes.
"He's mediocre but secretly makes endless efforts, and still can't get results so he becomes twisted! He has the arrogance and elegance unique to nobles, but at the very, very end, he sacrifices himself and dies in battle, a noble among nobles!"
I wrote down her advice along with what came to mind in my notebook.
"Hmm~ Something's lacking... Does Kallias have no one he loves?"
"Well. I haven't thought about that part."
"It would be nice if he did. But it's more heartbreaking because it's a love that can never be fulfilled. Ah! My heart aches."
Unrequited love.
It seemed like too feminine an emotional approach, but it wouldn't hurt to have it.
I kept nodding.
"But it's too sad."
"Why?"
"Kallias dies, you see. Despite his weak body, he's always stepping forward."
That's true.
Kallias dies no matter what.
No matter which route he takes, he's given a forced selection route where he has no choice but to die.
It's because of his trait.
[Noble's Duty]
Noblesse Oblige.
Due to this trait, in matters concerning the rise and fall of the nation, Kallias absurdly ends up sacrificing himself.
"With this story, there's no route where he can survive no matter what."
A handsome pretty boy.
The eldest son of an earl's family, but an unfortunate character abandoned for having the talent of a dullard in swordsmanship. On top of that, Kallias carries the ruffian concept that flows like water.
No matter which route the player takes, they meet Kallias at least once, and he forms an unfriendly relationship with most players.
Even if they become friendly, there's only one time this guy would be useful.
When falling into an unavoidable annihilation route, Kallias sacrifices himself, calling it a noble's duty.
Only right before dying does he repent his wrongs and helps the player for the first and last time, dying in battle.
「Kallias von Zervan」
「Occupation」 - Pilgrim
「Holy Rank」 - 6th Class
「Divine Power」 - 1351/1351
「Talent」 - [Bard's Blessing - Supreme(最上)]
「Traits」 - [Corpse Grace(屍恩)] [Noble's Duty] [Earl Family's Ruffian] [Deathbed Repentance(死時昨非)] [Prodigal of the Order] [Glutton]
[Stats]
Strength - 2
Agility - 1
Technique - 1
Constitution - 2
Faith - 3
The traits are quite messy.
But among those, there's not a single proper trait.
But that's the kind of character he originally is.
A character who never has a big role in any route, has no great achievements as a villain, and is ambiguous even as an ally.
That's Kallias.
"At least one. It would be nice if there was one. A route where Kallias lives and plays an active role."
She smiles bitterly.
She's so sad over a game character who isn't even alive.
"Ah, and it's too much that he has no talent at all. Please add at least one."
"Hmm... What would be good?"
"Well."
After thinking for a moment, she exclaimed, "Ah!"
"Unexpectedly, he has a talent for music?"
At her appearance chuckling while saying that, I couldn't help but let out a hollow laugh.
Fluttering like a violet and chattering like a sparrow, she was a comfort to me and one of my few precious ones.
But the longer the time we spent together, the more I hurt.
Gloomy sky.
A day dark as early evening despite being broad daylight with dark clouds filling the sky.
I could only watch her funeral from afar.
"They said it was suicide?"
"Yeah, who knew since she was always smiling."
"Why did she die?"
"Don't know, they said there was no will or anything?"
My comfort disappeared.
[Kallias von Zervan]
Drip, drip.
The day after her funeral ended.
I went to work, sat at my desk, and opened Kallias's settings window.
'At least one... it would be nice if there was. A route where Kallias lives and plays an active role.'
Her voice was still vivid in my ears. I started modifying Kallias's settings window as if possessed.
"One route where Kallias lives."
And.
'Unexpectedly, he has a talent for music?'
One talent.
* * *
Click.
Kallias, who woke from sleep, grabbed the stuck Arsando.
The bushes rustled, but soon a roe deer showed its face and disappeared.
"Was I asleep."
Kallias threw more firewood into the slowly dying campfire.
Crackle.
The subsiding flames received the firewood he threw and grew in size.
Kallias, looking at the flames, gazed at his status window with gloomy eyes.
'I never thought the events of that time would connect like this.'
「Kallias von Zervan」
「Occupation」 - Pilgrim
「Holy Rank」 - 4th Class
「Divine Power」 - 2971/3251
「Talent」 - [Bard's Blessing - Supreme(最上)]
「Traits」 - [Corpse Grace(屍恩)] [Noble's Duty] [Earl Family's Ruffian] [Deathbed Repentance(死時昨非)] [Prodigal of the Order] [Glutton]
[Stats]
Strength - 19+(10)
Agility - 15+(10)
Technique - 7
Constitution - 15+(10)
Faith - 20
Three years have passed and my status has changed a lot.
[Glutton]
- Eats a lot and digests a lot.
Digestion Rate - High(上)
Absorption - High(上)
If I had known this would happen, I should have made the talent something genius-like, then I wouldn't have had to suffer for 3 years.
"I would have obtained a Spirit Sword early on, reached the route to get a Phantom Sword, and even made a Divine Sword with great momentum, breaking everything in my path."
Whether in my previous life or now, why is there not a single easy thing.
[Corpse Grace(屍恩)]
- Relieves the grudge of objects made into corpses and receives grace in return.
The first trait obtained through this was the Glutton trait.
'Kallias was originally a character with a very weak constitution, so the Glutton trait wasn't bad.'
Whatever he eats, he absorbs and digests the nutrients to the maximum.
On the outside, it seems like a trait that just digests food well, but depending on how it's used, Glutton changes dramatically.
Moreover, the historical background of this place is medieval.
'It's a situation where dying from eating something wrong is common.'
The Glutton trait reduces these cases and digests and absorbs the nutrients of the food at the highest level, so it was an indispensable trait.
'It even digests or breaks down moderate poisons on its own.'
Kallias looked at the part where his talent was specified.
"The only talent I have is really......"
Kallias picked a blade of grass and brought it to his lips.
When he opened his mouth and blew,
~♬
A melodic tone unbelievable to be produced from mere grass spread through the forest.
Listening quietly, one's ears would be purified, stray thoughts would disappear, and an incomparable sense of fulfillment would bloom in one's heart.
Despite it being dawn, beasts began to raise their heads and gather to hear Kallias's grass flute sound.
"Ridiculous."
Crackle.
When he stopped playing, the beasts ran away as if they had never gathered.
'Unexpectedly, he has a talent for music?'
If I had known it would turn out like this, I would have put in a different talent.
"......No, maybe this is good too."
Trudge, trudge.
Walking along the path, Kallias played the grass flute.
A fantastical tone resonated through the forest.
* * *
"We found traces."
Finding the traces of a campfire, he shouted joyfully.
"I see. Then the destination?"
"But that's......"
"What is it."
Inquisitor Deluin had a face that showed he didn't quite understand it himself.
"Please speak quickly."
When he urged, Deluin began to confess as if he had no choice.
"There are unusually many animal footprints in this forest. Because of that......"
"It's difficult to identify the direction. Is that what you're saying?"
"Unfortunately... yes."
It's exasperating and suffocating.
To think they can't specify the direction because there are so many animal footprints.
Just how many animals were wandering around for them to say tracking is impossible? Did they pass through the forest in a herd?
'It's not like it's a herd of buffalo...'
Deluin found it hard to understand this situation even as he spoke.
Did Kallias use magic? Magic to the extent of bewitching beasts to erase his footprints? Or sorcery?
"It may be hard to believe......"
Deep sighs kept coming out.
Anyone who heard such a report would rebuke him. He should at least say something that makes sense for them to believe.
But Inquisitor Raiven's expression was quite different from what he expected.
"It might be the power of a holy relic."
"Ah...!"
A holy relic!
If it's the miraculous power imbued with the power of a god, this entire situation would be possible.
Why didn't he think of that.
Deluin greatly admired Inquisitor Raiven's insight.
"It seems like it will take longer than expected."
"Yes. There are... many variables."
Pilgrim Kallias.
No, chasing the apostate Kallias who stole the holy relic seemed like it would take much longer than expected.
* * *
Viscounty Bolivian.
In the office there, there was a woman elegantly wielding an ink-stained pen.
A woman with red hair and clouded green pupils but with somewhat fierce eyes.
The second daughter of the Bolivian family.
Helena de Bolivian.
"Young lady."
"What is it?"
How dare they break the flow when she was in the middle of happily reviewing documents.
Helena thought she should deduct butler Alfredo's salary.
"A letter has arrived for the young lady. From that Zervan Earl family..."
"What?"
Snatch!
Helena, who snatched the letter the butler held out, immediately furrowed her brow.
"What nerve does this bastard have!"
The source of the letter was that guy she'd rather chew up and spit out. The scammer who dared to swindle gold coins from the daughter of a merchant family!
"Kallias, this bastard... Who does he take me for, a fool? After taking my gold coins last time, he should have hidden and lived like a rat! What did he do well to send me a letter again?"
Crack!
Helena, who broke the pen, immediately tore open the letter envelope.
"Just try asking for money again. This time I'll go to the north! I'll confront the Zervan family and get all my money back!!"
"Considering the hardship, time, and cost of going all the way to the north, it's a pointless endeavor, young lady."
"Shut up, Alfredo! I know that!"
Soon her green pupils quickly read down the letter.
However, her furrowed expression gradually smoothed out and only bewilderment remained.
"Toret? Copper mine?"
Out of nowhere, asking her to distribute the copper mine of Toret.
Of course, developing or distributing a mine is not a difficult task. Toret is a small village near the border, no different from any other.
There wouldn't be proper manpower there, so it would be fine to send manpower from here.
All the profits from that would return as gold coins to the Bolivian family.
Although she would have to go to Toret and negotiate to know the details, for Helena, there was nothing to lose in the content.
"But something's strange... There's a smell other than the smell of money."
When she narrowed her eyes with suspicion, Alfredo lifted his arm and sniffed.
"I washed cleanly today, though. Perhaps it's the young lady..."
"What nonsense! Alfredo! I washed today!"
"I see. I apologize."
Helena, who glared at Alfredo with an annoyed face, suddenly opened her eyes wide as if she remembered something.
"Wait, Toret?"
Toret, Toret.
Tap, tap. Helena, holding the broken pen and touching her lips, rummaged through the mountain of documents, then pulled out a report from between them.
"Right, Toret. Alfredo. Didn't you say the destination the Inquisitor headed to a while ago was a village near the western border?"
"Yes, I heard so."
Information is money to a merchant.
Moreover, information about Inquisitors is bound to be sensitive.
Depending on where his footsteps reach, someone's rise and fall becomes clear.
"There are few villages near the border. There was a rumor that Arsando died in Toret, and if that's true..."
The puzzle fits together.
Her narrowed brow smoothed out, and a faint smile spread across her red lips.
"I wondered why the Inquisitor of Iron went to Toret, was it because of you?"
Kallias von Zervan.
Putting aside how he killed Arsando, why did it become a matter that even an Inquisitor stepped forward?
"If it's Kallias, that's possible."
A while ago, Luteon, who was close to him during his ascetic days, apostatized.
"Is it because of that?"
It's not certain, but either way, Kallias must be on the run.
The distance from Toret to the Bolivian family is roughly ten days.
Estimating the time the letter arrived, the picture slowly forms.
"He must have been caught by now."
Or maybe he's already been caught and being interrogated? No, being tortured?
Kehehe! Leaning back in her chair, Helena laughed heartily.
"Surely god gives revelations, right? Seeing the bad guy who dared to scam me, Helena de Bolivian, get punished on his own."
Indeed, Lord Valterus.
Helena smiled with great satisfaction and stretched her back.
"But he won't die, right? The five hundred gold coins I was scammed out of by Kallias must be returned."
"He's the eldest son of the Zervan family. No matter how much he was cast out, that bloodline doesn't go anywhere. They probably won't be able to kill him."
"Right? He mustn't die. I have to make that bastard pay back my humiliation and gold coins tenfold!"
Bang. Helena stamped the document and hummed a tune.