**Chapter 104**
—
Arthur stepped off the train.
At that moment, a mob blocking the tracks shouted out:
“Begone, demons—! Begone—!”
“Do not interfere with the High Priest’s penance!”
Arthur stroked his chin and muttered.
*‘The Black Cross… Are they followers of Yenika?’*
Beside him, Jeannie blinked as she stepped closer.
“Huh? Isn’t that a protest?”
“Looks that way.”
With those words, Arthur awakened the senses of his body.
Immediately, he could hear the exchange between the protesters blocking the tracks and the train staff.
“No, you can’t do this here!”
“At this rate, the riot police will have to arrest you all!”
“This is outright obstruction of public duty!”
The protesters responded to the staff’s words:
“God has spoken—there is a demon here seeking to harm our High Priest!”
“Begone! Begone, demon!”
“You shall never reach the High Priest!”
Watching the exchange, Arthur let out a chuckle.
“Not sure what’s going on, but it looks like we came to the right place.”
“Indeed. No one else would be carrying that symbol except the Black Cross.”
Just then, Leon, who had gotten off the train a bit later, called out.
“Hey, you two! Over here.”
Jeannie and Arthur turned from the protesters and walked over to Leon.
Leon muttered with a deliberately grave expression.
“According to the intel my friends passed on, it seems the situation’s the same everywhere, not just here.”
“Oh… they’re holding protests elsewhere too?”
“Looks that way. Hmph… Miss Yenika was clever. Since her location was already exposed, she must be trying to buy time.”
Arthur shrugged.
“So, what now?”
“For now, we wait. We can’t just walk there, can we?”
At that moment, Jeannie whispered in a low voice.
“Seeing that person… it looks like it’ll be resolved soon enough.”
Both Arthur and Leon turned their eyes in the same direction.
Before they realized it, Khun had stepped up to the front of the protesters.
At the sight of Khun’s massive frame—well above average height—the protesters flinched and stumbled back.
“Wh-who are you!?”
Khun grinned broadly.
“Who do you think? I’m the angel who’ll smash in the skulls of fanatics like you.”
With those words, flames coiled around Khun’s hand.
Arthur, watching, let out a whistle.
“Oh… a Battle Mage?”
“Battle Mage? You mean he’s a warrior who wields magic?”
“Seems that way. Rare thing to see. Fascinating.”
Startled by the flames, the fanatics cried out in alarm.
“Good heavens!! There’s a madman threatening innocent citizens, and Arcane’s staff just stand there and watch!”
“I won’t forget this! I’m filing a complaint!”
“To just watch such thugs—do you even call yourselves civil servants!?”
The sudden outcry made the Arcane station staff panic and rush to stop Khun.
“Sir! You can’t do that!”
“No matter how angry you are, you can’t resort to violence!”
But despite the staff’s pleas, Khun did not step back.
“Out of the way! Or should I smash your heads first!?”
The scene devolved into chaos, and Arthur stroked his chin.
“Hm… Leon.”
“What is it?”
“Let’s just go on foot.”
Leon tilted his head.
“Why? Looks to me like that Khun fellow will handle things soon enough.”
“That’s what I think too, but… I don’t like the feeling.”
“What do you mean?”
“These people blocking the tracks. They’ve got something backing them.”
Leon narrowed his eyes.
“Backing them?”
“Yes. Otherwise, they wouldn’t dare stand so boldly against flames like that, all together.”
Leon let out a short exclamation.
“Don’t tell me the Black Cross forces are on their way here?”
Arthur smirked.
“Who knows… But no need to take risks, is there? Our goal isn’t the Black Cross anyway.”
After a moment’s thought, Leon nodded.
“Well, true enough. Luckily, there’s a village nearby. We’ll stop there, and tomorrow morning we’ll catch the next train.”
With that, Leon and Arthur gathered their belongings and stepped off the tracks.
Watching them with a tilted posture, the B-rank mercenary Chennisha muttered:
“So that really was… the Reaper, Donn?”
She couldn’t believe it.
A monster who had practically overturned the underworld.
A lunatic who had even picked fights with both pirates and the Seven Sovereigns.
The most infamous mercenary of the day—Reaper Donn. That dim-looking young man from just now had been him? Chennisha couldn’t bring herself to accept it easily.
*‘…Should I have confirmed it?’*
As she rubbed her chin in thought, Naible approached unnoticed and murmured:
“Looks like you’re thinking the same as me.”
“…You’re quite intrigued yourself, aren’t you?”
“Of course I am. To cross paths with Reaper Donn like this….”
Naible trailed off, then smirked.
“How about we change our target?”
“Change the target?”
“Yeah. Even if we chase the Black Cross, there’s no guarantee we’ll capture Yenika Hazel with our own hands.”
Chennisha’s eyes narrowed.
“So instead, you want us to go after Reaper Donn?”
“Why not? If both are big fish, better to grab the one we’re certain about.”
A faint smile curled on Chennisha’s lips.
“Split the profit fifty-fifty?”
“Of course.”
“Hm… tempting. But can the two of us handle it?”
“If need be, we can rope in that Battle Mage.”
Just as Chennisha was about to nod, her smile faded.
Seeing her change of expression, Naible muttered:
“…What is it?”
“……”
“Hey? Why the sudden blank look?”
He waved his hand, but Chennisha didn’t move.
Puzzled, Naible turned around.
Out of the darkness, something lunged forward, blotting out his vision.
*Crunch—!*
That was the last thing Naible ever saw.
—
—
Leon’s words had been true.
There was indeed a small village nearby.
Arthur, Leon, and Jeannie entered the inn located at the village center.
“…Outsiders, are you?”
At the innkeeper’s remark, Arthur flicked a gold coin his way.
Startled, the innkeeper muttered:
“I don’t have enough change for this kind of coin.”
“That’s fine. Just give us your largest room and three of your best meals.”
“…A generous customer, eh. Wait here.”
Nodding, Arthur, Jeannie, and Leon sat at a table.
Jeannie tapped her thigh and muttered.
“Ugh… walking after so long is killing me.”
“Want a massage, Miss Jeannie?”
“…I see now, Leon, you’re rather insane yourself.”
“Me? Ha! With a real lunatic right here, you dare call me that?”
Arthur leaned back in his chair, listening to their banter, and looked around.
“……”
The tavern of the inn was old but fairly spacious—yet they were the only guests.
*‘Business is bad here.’*
Well, who would stop at an inn in such a remote village?
Shrugging, Arthur turned his head as the innkeeper approached with platters of sizzling steak, soup, and bread.
Jeannie gasped.
“Wow… looks delicious!”
“Simple fare, but true to the basics. Eat well.”
Jeannie and Leon’s eyes gleamed.
After walking all night, they were starving.
Just as they reached for the food, Arthur asked:
“By the way, why is the village so quiet, innkeeper?”
“…Quiet, you say?”
“Yes. Even if it’s night, isn’t it far too empty?”
The innkeeper scratched his head.
“Wouldn’t it be stranger for a remote village to be noisy?”
“Hm… maybe. But still, it’s unusually quiet.”
Beside him, Leon nudged Arthur’s shoulder.
“…Arthur. You’re being a bit rude with all these questions.”
Arthur chuckled.
“Ah, my bad. Then let me ask something else.”
He flashed a cheerful smile.
“You slipped some strong poison into the food, didn’t you? Why’s that?”
Jeannie froze, bread halfway to her mouth. Leon and the innkeeper were no less shocked.
The bearded man’s whiskers quivered as he growled:
“Poison? You’re saying I put poison in this food?”
“Oh? Didn’t you?”
“…I may not be a chef, but you’ve crossed the line.”
“Hm. Then why don’t you taste it yourself?”
“……”
“If you didn’t poison it, you should have no trouble eating it. Isn’t that right?”
The innkeeper’s eyes narrowed.
Jeannie and Leon, watching, quietly reached for their weapons.
Just then, the door banged open and figures entered.
“These guests are rather sharp.”
“Heh… all the better. A man drugged like a corpse is no fun to slice up.”
“Silence, fool! Do not sully the name of those who serve God….”
More than thirty men poured in, armed with spears, swords, and other blades.
Leon gave a dry laugh.
“…So this isn’t an ordinary village? Bandits, perhaps?”
Arthur rose from his seat.
Jeannie, sensing danger, moved to stand as well, but Leon stopped her.
“…Shouldn’t we help?”
“In such a cramped space, a sniper like you would only get in the way.”
At his words, Jeannie reluctantly sat back down.
Arthur stroked his chin as he looked at the innkeeper and the armed men blocking his path.
*‘Doesn’t feel like ordinary bandits…’*
Not all of them, but many looked strangely neat and tidy.
*‘Even if there are plenty of bandits in the world, it’s odd for all the well-kept ones to gather here…’*
Which meant, clearly, someone was behind them.
The train halted by the protesters.
The conveniently placed village.
Connecting the dots, Arthur chuckled and asked:
“Hm… just asking, but is there anyone here who’d like to live?”
“…?”
“If so, raise your hand now. I planned to let one person live anyway.”
The armed men blinked at him.
“…What kind of nonsense is that?”
“Has he lost his mind?”
Arthur shrugged.
“Then I’ll choose myself. No complaining afterward, all right?”
With that, he drew the cursed blade from its sheath.
*Shlick—!*
To call it a swing was wrong—it was more like a shot. In an instant, five heads rolled.
“…What?”
“What the hell?!”
“Sh-shit!?”
The survivors, belatedly realizing what happened, raised their weapons in shock.
But it was already too late.
*Slash—!*
Arthur’s blade carved sharply through their ranks once more.
“Graaahhh—!”
Screams filled the room, and of the thirty, most were already dead or dying on the floor.
Jeannie and Leon stared in disbelief.
“Wh-what…?”
“Was… was that really a sword?”
Arthur turned his gaze toward the innkeeper, who looked shaken.
“You survived?”
“Y-you…”
“Not on purpose, but… good. Easier to talk to someone I’ve already exchanged words with.”
Arthur smiled brightly.
“If you don’t speak, I’ll have to torture you—but I’m not very good at it, so I don’t recommend making me try. You’ll talk, won’t you, innkeeper?”
The man’s jaw trembled violently.
Arthur took a step forward—
—when the innkeeper smirked.
“Turn around, fool. It’s not over yet.”
Arthur’s eyes widened.
At that moment, blades rushed in from behind.
“Oh?”
Arthur casually dodged the strike, letting out a low whistle.
The men whose limbs had been severed by his blade were somehow standing again.
Arthur tilted his head.
“Immortals? Zombies? What should I call you?”
One of the men, whose head had been reattached, bellowed in reply:
“Vampires, you bastard!”
—
