NOVEL NEXT Chapter 114
EP.114 Side Story (1)
“Hey, Kalt.”
“Yes, senpai.”
“There’s something I need to mention.”
“Yes.”
Raniel spoke with her eyes closed.
“…The city, it’s going to be fine, right?”
“Excuse me?”
“No, I mean, I feel like I broke a lot of things. I’m starting to feel bad for the lord…”
“Oh, well…”
Kalt gave a bitter smile.
“Isn’t it going to be alright?”
“…That’s a rather irresponsible statement, isn’t it?”
“Well, isn’t that the truth? I know it sounds bad to say, but do we really have the time to worry about that? The underlings will figure it out.”
“Hmm…”
“It’s not like they can decide on their own, right?”
Her tone sounded strange. However, there was a weird déjà vu in that tone, causing Raniel to frown. She couldn’t recall where she had heard it before.
‘But that’s a bad habit.’
She nodded slightly.
‘This brat has picked up some really bad habits.’
Raniel opened her mouth to scold him.
“Hey, that’s a really bad habit. From the perspective of your subordinates, it’s absolutely terrible. Who taught you that?”
“Oh, is that so?”
“…Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Oh no, just… I thought it wasn’t something you should say, senpai…”
“What? You want to take a hit?”
“…”
Raniel’s eyes widened.
Kalt fell silent.
‘Who do you think I learned it from?’
Kalt swallowed the words that were about to spill out. He knew that if he spoke them, a spicy punch would surely come his way.
“…I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Good. Take care of the underlings. You need to have a bit of reputation, you know?”
“Ah, yes…”
Kalt replied with an appropriate response. All things considered, he was a fairly perceptive subordinate.
*
Morning arrives in the night city of Kadinak.
The sun rises beyond the meadows. The lazily descending morning sunlight illuminates Kadinak. Though the day is beginning, it’s quite tranquil here.
Adventurers reeking of alcohol from last night’s binge stumble into the inn. Those who had some fun at the taverns or gambling halls face the rising morning sun as they return to their lives.
Rather than a new day starting, itFeels more like the end of a long night. That is the essence of Kadinak…
“One, two, three! Push!”
“Over there! Keep your balance! Huff!”
Today’s morning feels different.
The streets of Kadinak are bustling with adventurers flexing their muscles, helping knights clear the corpses of beasts. The remnants of the crumbled castle walls are being removed.
“Ugh, this is heavy.”
“Did we clear that out? Then what’s next…?”
“Let’s take a short break first. I’m dying here!”
The energy is quite contagious for a morning.
The residents of Kadinak glance over. Their gaze turns to the completely collapsed western castle wall.
“…How did only that part come down? There’s not a stone fragment anywhere else.”
It’s truly a puzzling sight.
No adventurer in Kadinak could have missed the battle that unfolded last night. Though distant, their eyes caught the chaos… at least they knew it wasn’t a light skirmish.
‘A fight where just joining in meant death.’
They kept their distance, wary of being dragged in.
That place was already another world altogether. For those of that caliber to battle, the damage was somehow limited to the western quarter. Casualties were minimal.
“What the hell fought what?”
“No idea, me neither. Shouldn’t there at least be someone who saw it? With all that dust flying up and things exploding, who could even watch?”
“What did the knights say?”
“They didn’t know either. They only received orders from the Royal Guard from the royal capital.”
“Wow, just wow…”
In the end, there were no credible eyewitness accounts. Only a handful understood the situation entirely.
“By the way…”
One adventurer’s shoulders droop. Another listening to him lets out a long sigh, already guessing what he was about to say.
“Of all places, why the western quarter…”
“Well, that’s why there weren’t any casualties. Evacuations were already in place when the beasts appeared.”
“My favorite shop was over there.”
“Maybe it’s a chance to quit.”
“Ugh…”
The adventurer reflexively licked his lips while staring at the western quarter. It was the alleyway with his preferred shops that matched the name of the night city.
‘It was ten visits and one free…’
The adventurer swallowed back tears. Just as he was slumping down, a fellow adventurer spoke up.
“…I’ll recommend my favorite shop for you.”
“Favorite shop?”
“They say it’s safe. I’ll treat you today.”
The adventurer’s eyes lit up.
His gloomy demeanor vanished in an instant. An adventurer always means living for today. Yesterday’s sorrows are buried. Tonight, they will chase after new pleasures.
‘That’s what being an adventurer means.’
With a nod, the adventurer stepped forward. His steps were light and cheerful.
The night city of Kadinak.
Even though night hadn’t arrived yet, the streets of Kadinak were filled with all kinds of adventurers. Clearing the debris didn’t take much time at all.
2.
“The lord of Kadinak seemed to be shedding tears of blood.”
Inside the carriage returning to the royal capital.
Suddenly, Kalt spoke up. He held a stack of documents in his bandaged, mitten-like hands. Then, he turned the pages with his teeth, one by one.
‘… He’s quite skilled.’
Kalt read out loud the things written on the documents.
“The clock tower they painstakingly built has been demolished. Plus, the bell tower has broken too. The western quarter has been obliterated. The red-light district that was called the pride of the night city, ‘Summer Flower’ street, has collectively closed.”
“Oh…”
“They were even planning a festival in the western quarter. A once-a-year festival, and now that’s ruined, and he’s just sobbing.”
I pictured the lord’s face in my mind. I hadn’t heard any news about a change in the lord, so it must be that same lord who pleaded with us during the incident with Refe.
‘He was quite a gentleman, I think.’
But when trouble struck, he was the one sobbing and clinging to my leg… not exactly what I expected.
– “Raniel-san, what’s going on?!”
As I closed my eyes, the lord’s voice began to play out in my head again, like an old tape. Even though it was years ago, that voice was still clear.
– “You mean the saint broke the holy statue? Does that even make sense?! How much budget did I allocate for that statue…?!”
– “What about the Deloheim Church?! What does the cardinal of the Deloheim Church say? Since it was done by the saint, the Holy Church should step in…!!”
…I genuinely feel bad about it.
Support never came, even back then. Sara had marked it as an unpleasant city, so I think the support was cut off completely because of that.
“I rarely feel sorry about stuff like this, but I really want to apologize to the lord of Kadinak…”
“Haha, well, all things considered, the damage isn’t that severe, is it?”
Kalt shrugged.
“After fighting against one of the Four Calamities, the Betrayer, it’s quite a miracle the city hasn’t been completely destroyed.”
“That is… true.”
“You calculated it well and directed it to the western castle wall. Considering that, this is quite a cheap outcome.”
“Thinking about it, you’re right.”
After all, it was Gletus the Betrayer.
It is thanks to her entering in a weakened state that we came out relatively unscathed; otherwise, the thought itself is horrifying.
‘We couldn’t have captured her even if the entire Hero party dove in.’
In the first fight, we relied on Uncle Kuntel’s strength. It almost reached elimination… but failed due to the interference of Death’s Blade.
‘In the second fight, and even afterward, it felt like one superhuman was always involved.’
Sword Demon Draka.
Madman Kelharlem.
Those two managed to somewhat tie together the battle lines, making the fight viable. We even borrowed the strength of other Hero parties, but… it wasn’t very helpful.
“By the way, what about other heroes?”
“It seems the Knights Order head, Heinkel, is managing things, but it doesn’t look like it’s going smoothly.”
“Well, of course not.”
“After all, it’s not without reason that only Kyle’s name comes up when you mention heroes. Ah, Galahal the Hero of the Star Spear seems to be doing alright.”
“Putting skills aside, that guy’s personality is solid.”
Galahal of the Star Spear.
I’ve crossed paths with him a few times. Though not particularly skilled, he possesses a commendable mindset as a hero.
‘Far better than the others.’
I tried to recall the heroes I had encountered in my mind. Suddenly, one question struck me.
“…Now that I think about it, it’s a bit strange.”
“Yes? What do you mean?”
“This generation of heroes seems to have a particularly high ratio of useless ones, right?”
“Useless ones?”
“Yeah. I remember the heroes from the previous generations being quite decent, like the indomitable Rhihart and others.”
The heroes who maintained the frontline before Kyle became a hero…
Back then, there were heroes around who could stand shoulder to shoulder with Uncle Kuntel. I remember several figures worthy of respect.
‘But what about now?’
Aside from Kyle, there’s no one else worth using.
That’s why I kept Kyle around for so long; I couldn’t perceive any potential in the others.
“Without Kyle, the level of heroes drops significantly. Doesn’t it feel way too contrasting compared to the previous generation?”
“…Now that you mention it, it does seem like that.”
Kalt nodded in agreement.
Just as I was about to ponder this issue further, the carriage jolted violently.
“Yikes!”
The impact resonated through my spine.
I hunched over, clutching my waist. Due to my partially disabled state, even small shocks sent shivers down my spine.
“Ugh…”
As I groaned, Kalt spoke up.
“It looks like we’ve arrived.”
The carriage door opened.
Kalt waved at me.
“Please be careful getting in, senpai.”
As I looked outside, I found myself in front of Master’s residence.
I got off the carriage, rubbing my waist.
“Be careful going in, too.”
“Yes, I’ll send a message if there’s anything to report.”
Responding with a “yes,” I gave a slight wave.
The carriage carrying Kalt set off toward the royal castle. Its movement was quite gentle.
“…Hah.”
I took a breath as I stood at the door.
Knock, knock! Just as I knocked, the door swung open. There stood my master, hair tousled and weary around the eyes.
I tilted my head and asked.
“…Uh, Master? Did you not sleep?”
“Like I could possibly sleep.”
Master let out a long sigh.
As she brushed aside her messy hair, she spoke.
“I’ve roughly heard the news.”
“Already? That was quick.”
“…How’s your body holding up?”
I paused for a moment.
Then I raised my arm and smiled.
“I’m fine.”
“…”
Her eyes narrowed.
‘She must have noticed.’
But Master didn’t say anything. After a brief silence, she raised her arm.
Thud!
Her aged, rough hand was placed atop my head. She patted my head a couple of times and then quietly asked.
“Was there a need for that?”
“There was no one else.”
“…How much time is left?”
“Ah, you don’t need to worry. There’s still plenty of time. And I still need to find a way.”
Master smiled bitterly.
“If you say so, I guess it’s true.”
With a gentle pat, she removed her hand from my head.
“Come inside.”
As she opened the door, Master gestured for me to come in.
“I bought some snacks from that café you like. I’ll heat them up, so go wash up and rest.”
“Oh, really?”
Thankful for Master’s kindness, I stepped inside. I took off my cape and unbuttoned my vest. I untied the bloodstained bandage.
…It was a somewhat unfamiliar feeling.
‘Having a place to return to.’
Being back and having a place to relax brought a strange sense of relief, and I couldn’t help but smile.
It wasn’t particularly bad at all.
3.
Two days after the incident involving the Betrayer was resolved.
Taking a break and recuperating at home, I was reading the after-action report from Kalt. There wasn’t anything particularly noteworthy.
The next generation hero, Chloe.
Her identity protection was successfully achieved, and Belnoa apparently returned in good health.
‘That’s all I needed.’
Though there were a few additional notes cited as references, they were facts I already knew.
“Raniel.”
My name was called from outside the door.
It wasn’t hard to guess the intent behind it. I had a rough idea of the story from yesterday.
‘There must be a visitor.’
I slowly got up.
Leaning back against the bed, I replied.
“Yeah, I’m fine.”
Soon, the door opened.
There were two more figures beside Master.
“Nice to meet you, Black Tower Lord.”
The Black Tower Lord Yetual and his disciple Belnoa.
The two who probably learned my secret were looking at me.
“…Nice to meet you.”
Yetual said.
“Ashen Mage.”