The second son of the Bevel Family.
Levi read the documents while pondering solemnly.
It was the same paperwork that Jezebel had read.
Arrived from Ria.
Tracking Eliya’s revered Sun Symbol.
There were three individuals participating in that matter.
Hazle, Judas, Richard.
A tempting bait.
If all goes well, they could snatch the Sun Symbol.
Additionally, they might eliminate the three strongest candidates among the current escort knights.
On the surface, the information conveyed by Ria certainly seems to suggest that.
“Could it really be so?”
However, Levi did not accept it as is.
He was born with a weak constitution.
To be a child of the Bevel Family with such a frail body, he had to rely on his intellect.
He was adept at understanding information, analyzing it, reassembling it, and then using it to manipulate others.
That was his only means of survival.
Since Eliya took Narcissi away and effectively made the Bevel Family her enemy, he had been continually gathering information on Eliya.
“First, that Judas fellow, who ranks second. He’s not an ordinary guy.”
A candidate favored by Eliya.
From the information he obtained, it was likely more than mere favoritism.
Anyway.
He was not an average candidate.
He grew up in the training facilities of Molsin Church, and maybe it’s due to his history passing through Judeca.
“Even before that, he lived near the Demon Realm. Surviving there at such a young age, if it’s not a lie, he’s no ordinary human.”
The consequences of that are gradually beginning to show.
The number and difficulty of the tasks he performs as a candidate are already on par with those of a regular knight.
“That Richard, who’s hot on his heels, is similar. As for Hazle, his information is oddly obscured, but he’s not that different.”
The hidden factions do not belong solely to Balak.
His children each have their own hidden factions.
They might not have names like Black Spot, and they are much weaker compared to it, but they are still capable individuals.
According to the information sent by Ria, it seems possible to confront those three with just his children’s hidden faction alone.
That’s what he wrote.
But comparing it with the information Levi had, it was impossible.
Those three could not be managed solely by his children’s hidden factions.
“If we join forces, it might work, but that’s unlikely. And by the way, does Eliya have good karma? Where did she find these monstrous guys?”
Levi speculated.
“Jezebel. She will take that bait.”
“Cain. He wouldn’t care. He’s too busy training to directly oppose Eliya’s power.”
“Then I…”
He wouldn’t take the bait.
He wouldn’t inform Jezebel either.
To confirm his suspicions, he needed a sacrificial pawn capable of taking that bait anyway.
“Ria… suspicious.”
Looking back, this isn’t the first time.
During the trial, Ria continuously leaked information to her brothers.
Hints that seemed to lead the trial favorably.
What Eliya has been preparing lately.
Whether to be cautious or not.
“As a result, we lost. Upon further inspection, Ria’s information has never held any real value.”
Even when pressed, Ria often escaped with clever excuses.
Claiming she didn’t mean it that way.
That there had been a misunderstanding in the communication process.
“The actual information she provided was rather nuanced. It could seem helpful, but even if it led to unhelpful outcomes, there were no logical flaws… things like that.”
If she weren’t competent, why would Balak keep Ria near Eliya?
If she were competent, why would she handle things in this way?
“I need to check all previous records.”
Levi immediately instructed his secretary.
To gather all the records Ria had reported to Narcissi before.
*
Eliya gazed at the departing Judas.
“Will it be alright…?”
Her gaze soon turned to the side.
Hazle.
The top-ranked in the current training center.
A different feeling bubbled up when looking at him compared to Judas.
“That must be… a chess piece they control.”
Why on earth would Judas participate in this exam?
She had expected it.
Based on Judas’s growth rate, she could infer that.
Still, she couldn’t delay her plans.
She had no choice but to proceed with today’s plans as they were.
It felt somewhat uncomfortable to be inadvertently using Judas.
There was really no reason to feel uncomfortable.
It wasn’t the first time she used others for her objectives.
In the first place, keeping Judas close, visiting him for hugs, was part of that usage.
Even so, Eliya felt like a stone was rolling around in the back of her mind.
That was why she stayed up all night creating the artifact.
There hadn’t been news about alcohol prohibition from the Magic Tower, but she had gathered various information aside from that.
The method of artifact creation was also part of that.
“The holy relic is just bait. I’ve let information flow casually. There are plenty of ears around picking up.”
It’s true that her allies have increased compared to before.
However, she couldn’t trust all of them.
Eliya had no intention of filtering them out.
Let information that could lure the opponent flow naturally.
“I don’t know who will take the bait, but neither side will be able to harm Judas at his current level… Just in case, I gave him that item too. It should be fine…”
Perhaps Judas would never come to collect that holy relic.
Since it wasn’t an exam designed for him to fetch it.
It was inevitable to use this exam as an opportunity.
The day Judas became an escort knight got pushed back.
That realization left her feeling regretful.
“…!”
Then, one worry sprang to her mind belatedly.
“When will… he come back?”
This exam had no deadline.
And due to Judas’s nature, he would likely stubbornly search for the holy relic.
Which meant she had no idea when Judas would return.
In a worst-case scenario, it might be more than two days before she would see him again.
“……”
They had spent five years under the same roof.
She had never been apart from him for more than a day.
Even this physical separation was a first.
Eliya had to try to calm her trembling heart in anxiety.
*
The final exam with no deadline.
Naturally, it wasn’t a distance one could walk.
There were no train routes either.
Thus, they had to ride horses.
However, I had no personal horse.
Richard and Hazle were in the same boat.
Here, excellent horses suitable for knights were incredibly expensive.
One horse, called a steed, was worth the price of a small house.
In modern terms, a steed would be a sports car.
Fortunately, Eliya agreed to lend me a steed.
Except for me.
Because I didn’t need a horse.
“Geez, every time I see it, I’m startled!”
Bradley, the stable manager at Eliya’s Mansion, was waiting for us outside.
“I swear it’s grown bigger since yesterday, right?”
“Don’t be ridiculous. It’s just in armor, that’s why it looks that way.”
It was a dangerous area they were heading to.
Naturally, they were heavily armed for that.
They had gathered the money from their previous contracts to purchase the gear.
If it was just a little short, he took money out from the deposit with the Information Guild.
If the armament level was too high, Eliya might suspect the source of those funds, so he adjusted it accordingly.
The important areas like chest, shoulders, and hands were covered with plate armor, while the rest was shielded with chain mail or tough leather.
He hadn’t been able to afford full plate armor yet.
“This much should be fine since it hasn’t been a problem.”
Though it looked jumbled together from various pieces, it was a meticulously selected combination from the Information Guild.
He also secured a heavy iron sword and shield.
Anyway, the armor made him look bulkier than usual.
“Haha! That’s true. Just by size, you look like you could take down an orc barehanded!”
“If there’s ever a time to fight barehanded, I’ll be sure to try it.”
As he lightly joked, Bradley laughed heartily.
Bradley had come to lend them horses.
He brought along two steeds.
One for Hazle and one for Richard.
I didn’t need a horse.
The reason is…
“Yuel!”
The big sturdy beast behind Bradley hopped up as it responded to my call.
The Moon Deer approached me with joyful leaps.
Yuel.
That’s the name Eliya gave a few years ago.
I don’t even know what it means.
She suddenly named it one day.
“Oh, good! Good boy, that’s it.”
The running Yuel stuck its face into me.
When there was an opportunity to come out together, it seemed particularly happy.
“Oh, this feels so good. Yes, yes.”
As I stroked it, it became even more excited, pressing its face into me.
I had to steady myself to avoid being knocked over.
When I first got it, this creature wasn’t an adult.
As I grew, so did it.
Boasting a size comparable to military horses.
When it holds its head up normally, its eye level is higher than mine.
I naturally ended up climbing on its back while scratching its neck.
The custom-made saddle and harness fit me perfectly.
That’s why I didn’t need an expensive breed of horse.
I just needed to ride Yuel.
“I’m so jealous I could die.”
Richard, mounted on his horse, grumbled as he approached.
“It’s hard to find even one horse, and here you are riding a divine beast. Isn’t that a bit unfair?”
Yuel, the Moon Deer, wasn’t an ordinary beast.
It is a special creature worshiped as the Beast of God in Molsin Church.
A divine beast.
The grown Yuel now understands my words to some extent.
It even adjusts its direction and speed on its own without needing instructions.
Thus, there’s no bridle for Yuel.
Just a light touch on its horn is enough.
For convenience, I only fit it with a halter over its face.
To my surprise, it seems to like the halter.
It enjoys when I pull it during walks.
“Such a generous creature.”
I scratched the area around the Moon Deer’s neck as I replied to Richard.
“So, you should have just trusted me during the hunting competition. Who knows? Maybe you would have found a Moon Deer too.”
During the hunting competition five years ago, Richard and Dillon followed me from the start.
Claiming they trusted my luck.
Then, when results didn’t come quickly, they set off on their own.
“I can’t believe you’d think I’d do that…”
Richard sighed deeply.
“Do you think I wouldn’t know that you’d be like this?”
“Just consider it as the sin of not trusting your dependable junior.”
While the two conversed, Hazle had already rushed ahead without saying anything.
Richard clicked his tongue as he watched Hazle’s retreating figure.
“That guy really has a weird personality.”
“Anyway, if we’re not late, we should set off.”
“Yeah. Let’s give it a go. Whichever of us wins won’t have any grudges?”
“Senior, don’t claim it’s a rebellion if I win.”
“When have I ever said that?!”
“How about now…?”
“Let’s go, junior!”
I chuckled and led Yuel onward.
Richard quickly fell into step beside me.
“Don’t get hurt.”
“You too, be careful.”
We ran at a similar pace.
The final exam had begun.
*
We advanced without hindrance.
There were obstacles, of course.
Robbers blocking the path.
Bandits lurking in the woods.
As for human foes, as they approached the Demon Realm, monsters started to appear.
Simple foes like goblins and orcs.
However, thanks to me, we managed to pass by without encountering them.
A hunter’s instincts and survival expertise.
And Yuel’s animal instincts as well.
Combined, we evaded danger.
Though we did have to confront a few, they were far too weak to block Richard and me.
As days passed and we walked into the land of demons, we decided to part ways.
From the marked area on the map, we agreed to act separately.
There could only be one successful candidate in the exam.
It was impossible for everyone to pass together.
“Hmm. I feel a bit guilty. It’s still likely I’ll end up passing.”
But still, well, I couldn’t tell them not to since I’d be the one passing.
Richard would be fine on his own.
Hazle, it was unclear.
In any case, with Richard gone, I had to camp alone.
Technically, I wasn’t alone.
Yuel was here.
There’s no clear boundary separating human territory from demon territory.
Unless one is talking about the front lines, in other areas, things are ambiguous.
The forest I was camping in was such a place.
A border region of both lands.
Any sort of enemy could appear around here.
Though it was chilly since the sun had set, it was bearable.
“Nice and warm.”
Thanks to Yuel.
I lay beside the curled-up body of Yuel.
Its warm body kept me from feeling cold.
“Hoo.”
My breath puffed out in white clouds.
The night sky pierced by the tall coniferous forest.
The scattered stars twinkled.
A sight I wouldn’t have seen in my old home.
Suddenly, I became curious.
“If I use the Sun Symbol here, can I return to the original world?”
It was an item so hard to obtain that it was equally difficult to use.
Even if I had it now, it would only result in an intricate statue.
As for whether I had the desire to return or not, well, who knows.
To be honest, I’m not sure anymore.
Perhaps it’s because I’ve adapted too well to life here.
“Eliya is here too…”
…Not that it holds any meaning, but if I suddenly flitted away to a different place without Eliya while becoming an escort knight, that would be problematic…
“What am I even doing?”
I still felt curious, though.
Why am I here in the first place?
Is there really no way back?
This has been a recurring thought for five years.
I always arrived at the same conclusion.
There’s nothing I can do.
So, I merely focused on what I could do now.
“I wonder if Eliya is doing well.”
If it’s me, she probably wouldn’t be eating properly.
She’s already busy enough with work, I don’t know why she skips meals.
Fortunately, it’s a relief that she isn’t starving like when she was a child.
At least she knows how to manage a minimal meal on her own now.
I’m quite proud of her.
“Speaking of which, it’s the first time I’ve been apart from Eliya like this.”
It feels rather uncomfortable and awkward.
But it shouldn’t take long.
I remember both the location and method, so I’ll solve it as quickly as I can and return.
…The quicker I solve it, the better.
There’s no special reason or meaning to that. Really.
“It’s a full moon tonight.”
No wonder Yuel seemed lively today.
Yuel nestled against me, half-curling its body, and placed its head on my legs.
Its breath rose and fell rhythmically as if ready to sleep.
As I stroked its horn, I closed my eyes.
“Good night.”
Its short tail wagged as if to respond.
*
“Kiing- kking….”
A sound like a mix of dogs, cows, and sheep bleating.
Something hard, thick, and blunt brushed against my face.
“What the…?”
As I opened my eyes, Yuel was waking me up.
It poked me with its horn.
It was still dawn.
“This isn’t the time to wake up….”
I paused to soothe it by scratching its neck, then froze, my body stiff.
Instinctively, I held my breath.
In the wide-ranging senses, something caught my attention.
As if something had disturbed the thin, translucent spider web, I sensed a subtle vibration.
I glared into one direction of the dark forest, on alert.
I cautiously placed my hand on my sword.
‘Someone is here.’
Correction.
Someone is approaching.
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