239-233 Fate

The airship was flying at a brisk pace towards Ebiza while maintaining its speed.

I've already told Lionel and the others that we're staying in Ebiza today.

Since they were so enthusiastic, I thought they might be a little angry, but that wasn't the case.

On the contrary, I was grateful.

'If I had gone to the Empire like this, my feelings would have been too much and I might have made a blunder somewhere.

Lionel laughed, and the morning's piquancy eased.

Lyna and Nanya exhaled in relief and spent the rest of the day talking with Doran and discussing magic tools with Paula and the others before they arrived in Ebiza.

'Estia, what kind of town is Ebiza?'

Ebiza?　Well it was a rough-and-tumble land when I was there.

'A rough man it's not a town I'd like to visit very much.

''Yes, that's true. But it's also a town with an unspoken rule of working together to protect the town from soldiers streaming in from the empire and kingdoms from doing whatever they want.

''It's a town that no longer has the benefit of the St. Surul Cooperative State. From what I've just heard, I only get the impression that you're more used to fighting people than demons.

''That impression is correct. Since the mercenaries and adventurers are about to dive into the labyrinth to level up and learn how to fight against each other.

'Has Esther honed her counterpart's skills too?

'No, I worked as a healer for a time and it was in the Empire that I honed my combat skills.

'Well let me get back to the point, do you know if the labyrinth is connected to the Empire?

'Yes. They say they are connected. I also escaped the Empire from the labyrinth so...

Okay.

I don't know what the right thing to say in these situations is.

I just kept steering the ship, listening to the stories of food and the people who had helped me in Ebiza so that a lonely laughing Estia wouldn't make any more of a dent.

As I stopped the amphibian a short distance away from Ebiza, I felt the mercenaries and adventurers conclude at the entrance to Ebiza.

'That was alarming,'

We're all committed to the defense of this town.

'You mentioned it earlier. Well, but we have to refuel over there today.

After bringing the airship to a complete halt and descending to the ground with everyone else, I asked Lionel to put the airship away in his magic bag.

I'm not going to fight them, but if they attack me, neutralize them. Try not to kill them as much as possible.

'Master Luciel, may I go and persuade you to go?'

It's rare for Esther to insist on something.

Maybe it's that much of an emotional attachment to her.

Maybe it's like Melatni to me.

'Are you confident you can let your guard down?

Yes, sir.

I decided to leave it to Estia, who nodded without hesitation.

''Then I'll leave this place to Estia, but as expected, I can't let her go alone. Someone go with me.''

Then I'll go.

I'm coming with you.

Nadia and Lydia told me so, so I decided to leave it to them.

I'm sure you'll be able to do that. We'll go with you as far as we can go in a heartbeat.

Thank you.

Estia thanked him and then proceeded to walk at the front of the pack into Ebiza's town.

We stopped at a distance of about fifty meters, and Estia and the others continued onward.

Seeing their backs, I muttered to myself.

This feeling of sending them off is a very unpleasant one.

'It's easier for me to go by myself, you know. I hate this feeling very much too.

Lionel replied to my mutterings without cutting his eyes off from Esther and the others.

'Could it be that you were always on the front lines because you didn't like it?

It happens.

That too, huh? That's Lionel, apparently.

Do you know about the labyrinth that is connected to the Empire?

'Yes, I've heard of it. I had never been there, but I recognize that it was a place where would-be knights would head to level up.

Are there any other labyrinths in the Empire?

'No, I remember that the Empire was a small country to begin with, so there was no labyrinth.

So that means that the dragon is sealed in the labyrinth that Estia was talking about.

Well, there's no need to hurry, but I'm sure they'll come to release it eventually.

As I was thinking about that, I heard a cheer.

When I looked over, I saw that Estia and the others were surrounded, but in some kind of welcoming mood, I saw a stern adventurer laughing with a disheveled face.

''It looks like ... it's going to be okay.''

I'm afraid so.

I was relieved that I didn't have to worry about it, apparently.

When Estia and the others gave me a signal to approach, I felt their eyes slowly turn stern as they looked at me, and I had a feeling that I was going to get into trouble.

''Luciel, you have all been very pleased with Luciel's visit.

Estia rushes over to us and says happily, but it doesn't look very good.

'Not very, but it doesn't look like it... well, as long as they don't attack us out of nowhere, I guess.

What?

When Esther hears my words and turns her gaze to Ebiza, she seems to understand the look.

She gives me a puzzled look.

''Hello everyone. My name is Luciel. I won't bother you, so I'd like you to let me into the town if you can?

Then a man came out of the group.

The man wore a pointy hat on his head, robes and carried a staff, and he was the very image of a wizard.

But he was wearing a jet black glove on his right hand, which may or may not be common.

''It is a pleasure to meet you for the first time. My name is Bazak, and I am currently in charge of this Ebiza.

'Bazak?　That abyssal mage, Bazak.

It was Lionel who raised his voice.

Does a mage of the Abyss mean that he has a deep knowledge of magic?　Still, it doesn't look like he has a very good relationship with Lionel.

I still have a feeling it's going to be a problem.

''You remember. General Lionel War Demon of the Ilmasia Empire.

When the man who called himself Bazak called out to Lionel, all the mercenaries and adventurers around him raised their weapons at once.

As expected, if this is the case, a battle is likely to ensue, so I immediately stepped in between them.

''Currently he is my follower and companion. I know you may have many thoughts, but I would like to talk to you first.

As an S-Class healer, you're welcome to join us, but not if you have an Imperial general with you.

'First, let me make a correction. Firstly, I have retired as an S-class healer and become a new wise man. And then there's Lionel, but I purchased him two years ago when he was a slave in Yenis at the time, so he's not already an Imperial general.

Slaves?　Hahaha. That's impossible. In fact, in the Empire, the Warlord of Warlords has armaments...

The mage who called himself Bazak stopped speaking there, replaced the staff in his left hand with his right, and started stroking his beard, pinching it with his left hand.

Then silence reigns over the place.

If you can't stand this silence and start talking, you may give the impression that you are unsure and shallow, depending on the person you are talking to, so you let it pass in silence.

After that, there was a long silence, and when the mercenaries and adventurers around us began to become numb, Mr. Bazak finally began to quietly open his mouth as he looked at me and Lionel.

''I thought that when the Imperial Warlord was no longer on the battlefield, the Warlord was no longer a failure, but that's the kind of caricature we had in mind.

You mentioned Mr. Bazak, right?　You seem to have a history with Lionel, would you be willing to let me stay at Ebiza?

Yes. Of course. But I'm going to need you to stick with me for a little while longer.

What's still going on with Lionel?

It's true that the Warlord and I have a history of feuding with each other. But that's not what I'm talking about.

Then what are you doing?

'I've heard that Master Luciel has lost the use of his magic...'

I didn't like that look that was staring at us, but for some reason I didn't feel too bad about it.

''Those rumors are just rumors. If you're injured, I'll fix whatever it is you're hurting.''

'Master Luciel, this is Bazak, and I cut off his right arm when I was young.

If my connection to Lionel was that he cut off my arm, I wouldn't feel better about healing it, but it might make me feel a little less bitter.

I decided to fix Mr. Bazak's arm.

'Then I'll fix it, and if you have a prosthetic hand, you'll need to remove it.

What are you talking about...

Not only did Mr. Bazak start to buzz, but those around him as well.

''It's not very pleasant to be surrounded by mercenaries and adventurers like this, so we'll get you well soon.

Mr. Bazak couldn't hide his confusion at Lionel and I, who proceeded with the conversation in a casual manner.

But he hesitantly removed his prosthetic hand, and I immediately activated the Extra Heel.

Then Mr. Bazak's body was covered in light, and the light immediately subsided.

"That light just now was some kind of........!

He couldn't feel the recovery magic, or maybe he was trying to talk as if nothing had happened, and he found it uncomfortable.

''Now you understand that I can use recovery magic, right?''

Mr. Bazak just nodded, unable to speak, but the mercenaries and adventurers around him began to gradually raise their voices as they realized the effects of the recovery magic.

''Hey, it's real!''

So that's what an S-Class Healer is capable of.

"Like a wise man of the past.

Yeah, he said his name was "Sage" earlier.

There's still a lot of fight in this one.

Gather the people who need immediate healing.

Several men rushed out into the town at once.

Before I knew it, before I knew it, the gazes that had been peeking at us earlier had changed to welcoming glances like the one that greeted Estia and the others.

"Wise Master Luciel, Ebiza welcomes you and your followers.

Mr. Bazak, seeing their behavior, came to himself, and bowed deeply and mouthed his hospitality.　

He began to regret his decision to stop by, thinking that he would be able to enter the town at last, but the feeling that he would still be involved in something had not disappeared.