Chapter 181

Episode 181: On this earth (1)

“Wait a minute...!”

“Priest, stop.”

“yes?”

“The devil knight refused.”

“Ha, but Berserk. The demon knight...”

The Inquisitor looked at the back of the person leaving and then at the person who captured her. It was because I couldn’t figure out why Berserk was capturing her.

“Respect your choice, priest.”

Berserk spoke clearly to her.

“You have no right to interfere with him. Because it’s weaker than that.”

It was something I couldn’t understand.

“...I know that I am lacking a lot. But my weakness has nothing to do with my right to reach out to him!”

The greatness of force does not bring rights. What’s more, didn’t she make a promise to that bastard earlier? She had no intention of giving up.

However, the moment she shouted that, Berserk tilted his head slightly to the side.

Amber eyes, which were normally thought to resemble wild beasts or the sun, shone like gold. It was gold that had aged underground for a thousand years and had changed somewhere.

“You are wrong, priest. “The weak are not given any qualifications or rights.”

“The qualification and right to reach out to others is something that is given only with courage. “It has nothing to do with force.”

“A priest.”

In the Inquisitor’s eyes, Berserk aged for a moment.

It didn’t mean that I had more wrinkles or that my hair had turned gray.

Berserk changed the weight of his eyes with a single breath. A thousand years of gold sank underground into the deep sea. There is no longer any brilliance.

“It’s not that I don’t know what you’re saying. I also love those who fight with courage. However... there are things in the world that cannot be solved with courage, perseverance and earnestness alone. “It’s possible to end things only with one’s own strength... That’s what happens right now, just like now.”

Hot gold turned into cold iron.

“Why... why is this a problem that can only be solved by the power of one god? why? “The devil knight is just sick—.”

“If the devil knight goes crazy, can you subdue him?”

“I will try to do that. By subduing him somehow...”

“Can you picture that ‘somehow’ in a clear form? To a level that can convince not only you but also the demon knight?”

“....”

“As a priest, you can try as much as you can to save people with your meager strength. Holding hands and dying together would be salvation for someone. But protecting it is different. “Protecting it is a completely different matter.”

A chill ran down my face every time Berserk uttered each word.

“What is needed when protecting an old woman in front of a gang is strength. Strength is also required when caring for a child being chased by a loan shark. Even when saving a person who risks death and enters a duel, one must not have strength. “Whether it is money, force, or power, at some point you must have power to get the answer you want.”

It was a tongue colder than a blade and harsher than snow on a snowy mountain.

“That is why you and the young hunter were not given the right or opportunity to protect the demon knight. You cannot protect him with your own strength. Furthermore, we won’t even be able to save him.”

At least it felt that way to the Inquisitor. You can block the blade, especially since you can hear it even if you block your ears.

“...Then what about the warrior Nari? I know we are weak. But if you are a fighter...”

“Young hunter.”

But the saddest thing is what causes the Inquisitor the most sorrow.

“Don’t think you’re the only one who is upset about the limits of your power.”

The expression on Berserk’s face as he said that was truly heartbreaking.

“If I could have come forward, I would have done so right away. “The Demon Knight is rarely fun and someone I want to meet again.”

Berserk Knowing that she actually didn’t want to back down like this... The Inquisitor couldn’t help but feel sad.

“...Still, I won’t give up.”

But instead of shedding tears, she cried out with reddened eyes.

“In the end, it will all be resolved when I become stronger, right? So, instead of giving up, I will try harder. “Because that’s what I’m going to do.”

Because the life of an Inquisitor was to not break even if it breaks.

“...Do whatever you want, priest. But... no. Just don’t be late. “Fate does not wait for you.”

Berserk cheered her on with a tired face. That face still predicted the impossibility of it, and at first glance I felt skepticism and even regret, but at least it didn’t seem like it would stop me.

That was enough. She was a person who could act even without anyone’s participation.

“Are you going to go too?”

“...Where?”

“Shouldn’t we follow the demon knight? Regardless of whether he relies on us or not, we should at least find out whether something is wrong with his health!”

“...Oh, that’s right. That’s how it should be.”

However, I have to get at least this guy involved. After hearing that he was weak, she saw him becoming gloomy again and slapped him on the back.

Wow!

“──!!!”

One hit at that thing makes it flutter and melt like a freshly caught fish!

She looked at Manjong who had fallen on the floor, forgetting that she was a person who carried an average of 30 to 40 kg.

“This is just the beginning, so don’t sound weak already! “Are you kidding me by being around a demon knight?”

“....”

“Answer me!”

“....”

“...that priest.”

“Why are you doing that?”

“I think the young hunter fainted.”

“yes???”

*

...

_

_

This was the text I saw when I woke up refreshed at the inn and came down to have breakfast.

“Demon Knight!!”

“lily!!”

I was speechless as I saw two people holding pickets outside the inn. I was so embarrassed by the two people appearing in an unimaginable form that my head turned white.

...What are they really doing?

“That customer. “Do you know...”

“That scribe seems to be... Is that correct, Sir...?”

“...??”

What should we do with this collective monologue? And why is the bookstore owner so different today? What kind of misunderstanding is this?

“...that priest. “Aren’t you here to inspect the store?”

“...? “No?”

“Ah ahhh! That’s right! “Then request for transcription...?”

“Are you a copyist?”

I took a deep breath and knocked hard on the door. thud.

“If you don’t open it, I’ll leave.”

“No no! wait a minute!”

The store owner, who was preoccupied with the two people, clung to the door. It rattled. The old door opened.

“Come in. “There are many books that are missing, but transcription is possible for all of them.”

thud!

“Eh.”

“What the heck!”

“Demon knight?”

Immediately after entering the bookstore, I closed the door before the Inquisitor and Deathbringer entered. The store owner, who had just lit a candle, and the two people left outside made sounds of confusion.

“Even if the two people out there don’t come in...?”

Well done.

“Don’t let it in, ever.”

“yep.”

A bag of money, a little thicker than yesterday, fell into the hands of the store owner. It was natural for the owner to smile brightly at the silver coin shining through the cracks in his pocket.

“Then I assume you will be reading the book from above today as well.”

Of course, there is a high possibility that this will be broken if they pay more... Deathbringers have a salty temperament, and Inquisitors rarely carry money. You probably won’t pay more than me.

『I bought that long sword... can you at least take that for me?』

...Even though Deathbringer is a salty stoner.

Grumpy.

I turned my attention to the sound I heard just in time. Oh, I’m hungry because I didn’t eat breakfast.

After some thought, I took out 30,000 more gals from my inventory and placed them in the store owner’s hand.

“This?”

“I would like to reorder what I had delivered yesterday, but could you do it for me? “You can keep the rest.”

“Oh, of course!”

He must have been quite smart enough to run a store at a young age, so I wondered if it would be okay to entrust such a trivial errand to someone like that... but I guess it wasn’t too unpleasant. I was relieved and went upstairs.

“I’m sorry, but if you could go...”

“I’m part of the group, but... can’t I still...?”

“Nowadays, do we refer to a relationship that closes the door before entering the store as a party? “I haven’t heard that the meaning of the word has changed.”

“No, that’s not it.”

“That...”

“Well, I don’t know your relationship well, so I have nothing to say... But I can’t let you in right now. Because you were the first guest and you asked first. “If you are really a group, try to compromise among yourselves later.”

“Oh, that. “We are here now to see the compromise.”

“I came here because I have something to apologize for... and that too...”

“That situation is none of my business. Please go. “Honestly, from my perspective, you all seem a bit like stalkers.”

“Request! I will place a request! yes “I’m here to make a request!”

“Is that so? Then, let’s go to the store over there. “It’s dark inside the store, so it’s not very good for conversation.”

“No, that’s...”

“Is there a problem?”

By the way, the store owner was very good and worth the money he received.

I’ll have to give you more tips next time I go.

* * *

The Archmage sighed as he looked at the pieces of Biryuho’s body in front of him.

Even though they said they would keep their distance, they said they would leave things like this to their discretion.

I’m not sure if I should think of her as being trusted, even if it’s not a bond, or if I should think of it as something that was left to her because the demon knight didn’t put much weight on this act.

There is a high probability that it is the latter.

“Are you going to buy it?”

“...I don’t think I can survive in the temple.”

“Right. Then, of course, Magic Tower will buy it all.”

Still, considering the dedication he showed, what she has to do is fixed.

The Archmage checked the slaughtered items once again, thinking of a way to set the price as high as possible.

“hmm?”

Then it suddenly occurred to me that this thigh bone wouldn’t make a pretty good sword.

I already bought a long sword for the demon knight, but it ended up being a regular iron sword. It will break soon.

“I guess I should buy this.”

Since I’m pretty ignorant about weapons, I might seek advice from Berserk or the Inquisitor... but I don’t think I’ll get a bad answer when it comes to materials.

“The formula has now stabilized, so if we do well...”

She estimated how much personal wealth she had and sought knowledge about who to entrust with production.

Luckily, there was one person I contacted recently to supplement the formula and create items.

“If you do well, you will receive it at the right time.”

My conscience pricked me a little because I felt like I was giving too much work to entrust this to an existing request, but looking at my skills, I had no choice.

The Archmage made a decision with the mindset that if he didn’t use his connections at this time, when would he ever use them?

“Arch Mage....”

“Mage Sari....”

“...Inquisitor? Are you?”

Of course, whether the gift would reach its owner was another matter.

Immediately after hearing the detailed story from those who came back crying, she tapped her forehead.

Fixing a single bond was more difficult than hunting down a demon.