“This is weird, you know…”
Yona muttered, holding up a spoon.
There was a sizable chunk of meat resting on the spoon, and the rich red stew was dripping down with a hint of meat juice making it somewhat thick and gooey.
“What’s weird?”
Alex, sitting across from her and dipping bread into the stew, asked Yona. They needed to finish breakfast and get ready to leave, but instead, Alex found Yona staring at the stew looking all strange.
“When I ordered this, there was hardly any meat—just a ton of peppers and carrots! I was freaking out trying to pick those out. It was half eating, half sorting!”
Seeing Yona continue to mumble while looking at the spoon nearly made Alex burst out laughing.
Of course, it made sense. The peppers and carrots, along with other vegetables in the stew, were mostly moved to Alex’s bowl as he picked them out, while the meaty pieces floating on top were mostly served to Yona.
While Alex was scooping the stew, Yona was busy making a sandwich, so she wouldn’t have known.
“Do I look like I eat a lot of meat? So they thought they should toss in a bunch for me, right?”
“Really? I eat a lot of meat too. They shouldn’t judge who gets what. That’s how businesses fail, you know.”
Yona shot a glare at the kitchen, and Alex could only smile back, unsure of what to say.
After finishing their meal and stepping out of the inn, the weather was beautifully clear.
The sky was high and blue, and the sun shone brightly, rising between fluffy white clouds, illuminating the ground below.
As they walked past carriages loaded with various construction materials racing toward the Mage Tower, Yona and Alex made their way to the General Store.
“So, we need to buy a sleeping bag, and I think we need salt too. What did Kaiyak call it? Salt lump?”
“Rock salt.”
“Oh, right. Rock salt and then…”
Laying a piece of parchment on a flat shelf, Yona picked up a pen and started listing the items they needed.
Alex watched her for a moment and suddenly asked, “Why are you writing it all down? You can just go and say ‘give me what I need,’ and they’ll hand it over.”
“Hey, this tightwad has changed now that he’s tasted a bit of money.”
Yona straightened up and flashed a cheeky grin at Alex.
“You might throw money around because you have a lot, but I’m now flat broke! I have to start all over again. So, I can’t overspend. Got it? To buy only what we need and avoid impulse buys, I need to prepare. Understand?”
“Oh dear, how does it feel to have all that hard-earned gold vanish?”
Alex asked, laughing, while Yona’s face scrunched up.
One hundred twenty gold coins. She still had about ten left, but that was really her emergency fund.
The dusty gold coins Yona had when she left Evian had remained untouched.
Thanks to meeting the noble Ceres, Yona had made a fortune, but she blew it all away.
“It’s not like I blew it! Now that I understand why it failed, I just need to solve that! Got it?”
“Well. Now that I know why I failed, I just need to solve that. Got it?”
“Let’s say so.”
“What do you mean ‘let’s say’?”
Yona poked Alex in the side with a frown, and Alex exaggeratedly yelped in pain.
Alex couldn’t help but be happy that Yona was still right there beside him.
This meant he had bought himself some time.
Those tattoos on Yona’s arms—until they were resolved, he was determined to win her heart, no matter what.
He pledges and plights that he will completely forget all thoughts of returning as a man and will make this happen.
“…Um.”
“Yes?”
Just as Alex was making that determination, he glanced at Yona again, who was fidgeting with her left hand and subtly lowering her head.
“Did you call me? Why?”
Yona, unable to meet his gaze, hesitated for a moment before beaming a big smile.
“So this time, you’re paying. Got it, tough guy?”
“…Ugh.”
He had suspected that would happen.
It was fine.
*
As the ship belonging to the Cathedral docked at the port, a gangway was quickly set up for disembarking.
“This is quite different from when we left.”
“Well, it would be.”
Vigrind carefully took Ludvik’s outstretched hand and stepped down the gangway from the ship.
Even though they had significantly traveled south compared to Kapatia Port, winter was still winter, and it was terribly cold.
The fierce sea breeze crept through the sacred robes, causing his body to shiver.
“Hurry down, please. It seems many people have come to welcome you.”
At Ludvik’s words, Vigrind looked down at the gangway and noticed a stout figure.
The first person he spotted was Bishop Poby of the Evian Diocese.
“Your grace, you’re still looking as robust as ever. And that goat beard must belong to Lord Carteyn, right?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
Ludvik waved to Poby and Carteyn while supporting Vigrind with his other hand as they slowly descended the gangway.
Before the welcoming party, surely coming from the Cathedral, stood Poby and Carteyn, who greeted the two of them.
“Ah, welcome! Warrior and Saint. Thank you for your hard journey.”
“With the protection of the Heavenly God, there’s no hassle at all, Bishop Poby, Lord Carteyn.”
Thanks to Vigrind’s endless coaching on the ship, Ludvik managed to present himself with quite a dignified demeanor and gave a splendid greeting to Carteyn and Poby.
To think that the warrior, who was half a rascal when they left, had become someone quite respectable after visiting the Church Region was a thought that made both Poby and Carteyn quietly admire him.
“Under the benevolence of the Heavenly God, and thanks to your concern, we returned safely. I hope there have been no troubles?”
After Vigrind bestowed a graceful bow, Poby and Carteyn welcomed them with warm smiles.
“Would there be anything worth mentioning? The weather is cold. Let’s get going. We have a carriage prepared.”
“Is there a carriage? The weather is cold. Let’s hurry along. I’ve prepared the carriage.”
Ludvik and Vigrind walked along the designated procession path.
Amidst the welcoming party that emerged from the Cathedral and the majority of the townsfolk who relied on this small port for their livelihood, Ludvik and Vigrind waved their hands left and right, smiling without a care in the world.
Finally, after walking the procession route, they reached a white carriage, and the four of them, including Poby and Kartain, boarded it.
As soon as the door closed, warmth engulfed them.
The sensation of their frozen bodies melting away was indescribably pleasant, and holding a warm teacup in hand made them feel incredibly good.
“You’re heading straight to Evian, right?”
“That’s right. If you’re feeling tired, you’re welcome to rest here—”
“No, it’s fine. The Saint would surely prefer to rest in Evian sooner rather than later, wouldn’t you agree, Saint?”
As Ludvik smiled readily, Vigrind secretly nodded in agreement.
After all, Evian was her hometown, so resting anywhere else didn’t quite feel like resting, as Vigrind had previously mentioned. It seemed Ludvik remembered that.
Vigrind thought it was a bit peculiar he remembered such trivial things, yet somehow, it didn’t leave a bad taste in her mouth.
“So you’re starting the investigation from here.”
As the carriage headed toward Evian, Ludvik briefly explained to Poby and Kartain about the heroic journey that was about to commence.
The first place the demon revealed itself was Evian.
Not just one, but two demons appeared in Evian.
And then, the demons showed up in Kapatia.
As Ludvik explained that one of them was a demon named Vervaria, Poby and Kartain sighed repeatedly.
“So, considering Evian as the potential starting point for the current situation… it might be a stretch, but we intend to investigate that aspect first.”
“That seems reasonable. However… Saint.”
As Ludvik spoke, Vigrind, who occasionally supplemented missed points, turned her gaze toward Poby.
With a sly smile plastered on his face, he asked her, “How is Pope Akzel IV faring?”
“Yes, His Holiness Pope Akzel IV is in very good health.”
“Is that so? Ha ha, truly, that must be the care of the divine.”
But Ludvik noticed something.
The fleeting emotion that crossed Poby’s gaze for a moment.
A feeling that could definitely be called regret.
Why would Poby feel disappointed at the news of Akzel IV’s health?
Ludvik was completely unaware of the peculiarities of the church’s dynamics, yet he nonetheless made a note in his mind to keep an eye on Poby’s name.
Something about it felt off.
The journey from the harbor to Evian didn’t take long.
Moreover, while it may not have been as luxurious as Ceres’s carriage, the Cathedral’s carriage was still a very comfortable and peaceful mode of transport, meaning Ludvik and Vigrind found this journey far more pleasant than being on a boat.
That night.
The carriage was halted for the camp, and around it, the Holy Knight Brigade members set up a tight watch, guarding the area around the carriage.
The knights were on high alert around the carriage, setting up defensive formations.
As he looked down at the flickering torchlight from all around, Ludvik suddenly grabbed the handle of the carriage’s lid and yanked it up with a clatter.
Startled by the sudden opening, a pair of red pigtails twitched before a head popped up cautiously.
“Is that you, Saint? Not sleeping?”
“I couldn’t fall asleep for some reason.”
Priest Vigrind climbed up to the carriage using a rope ladder.
The pure white holy robe seemed a bit awkward, not quite comfortable for movement. Ludvik silently extended his hand, and as soon as Vigrind took it, he pulled her up effortlessly.
“Our Saint needs to eat more. You’re in your growing phase, after all. You need to eat well to grow strong!”
“Don’t tease me.”
With a flushed face, Vigrind straightened her robe carefully and sat next to Ludvik.
“Why are you here at this hour instead of sleeping, Hero?”
At that, Ludvik looked up at the sky.
The bright moonlight bathed the world in a chilling blue glow, occasionally overshadowed by dark night clouds. Yet whenever the clouds passed, the moon still scattered its light across the land.
“I was looking at the moon.”
“The moon?”
“Yes, the moon.”
“Why the moon…?”
“I simply like the moon.”
While he had seen many people who disliked the moon, those who liked it were quite rare. When Vigrind stared at him with surprise, Ludvik briefly locked eyes with her and grinned.
“I’m originally an adventurer, and let’s be honest, my family isn’t exactly noble. So, in other words, I’m like that small twinkling light in the night sky.”
“How can you say that?”
“Isn’t it true? I’m neither a noble nor a valiant knight, so how can I shine? I have some martial skills, but isn’t that just faint enough to compare to starlight?”
“Is that so?”
“With all that, I’ve gained the name Hero and the power of a Hero. So, I’m like the moon. A presence that can’t quite match the brightness of the sun. Just a lunar entity.”
“……”
Vigrind didn’t know how to respond.
So, she had no choice but to remain silent.
“Even so, the moon shines upon the world. No matter if there are hindrances like clouds, the moon still shines. It breaks free from the clouds and shines its light. Although it doesn’t shine like the sun, it’s still enough light to pierce through the darkness.”
“Is that so?”
“But the moon must feel lonely if it’s all alone up there. So, I think I should try a little harder.”
“Try harder?”
“Yes. If there was another moon next to it, it wouldn’t feel so lonely.”
Vigrind couldn’t say anything.
She wanted to say, “That would be wonderful,” but the words just wouldn’t leave her mouth.
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